The Haunted: Ghost Stories
by LadyDragonsblood
Summary: Who are the College Hill Ghost Hunters? Step inside for a realistic look at the world of the Paranormal. Starring Adam Copeland, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Chris Jericho and many, many other WWE Superstars. This story is M/M Slash and contains adult language and intense situations both human and paranormal.
1. Meet the Gang

_**A/N:** Welcome to my next story. First things first, I own nothing but the plot and a few random OC's, everyone else belongs to Vince McMahon, The WWE or themselves. The only profit I hope to make is knowing how much you like the story. _

_This is a male/male slash fiction. There will be adult situations and language. This story is not Mpreg. If the material offends you, please move on to another story. I know they are not gay in real life, so no need to tell me. I mean no disrespect to anyone, this is just a fictitious story. Characters will also do things that they may or may not do in real life, such as smoking or drinking._

 _The places in the story are based on real places, mostly from my childhood summer vacations to my Grandma's and the town where I was born, Cedar Falls, Iowa. It is a small University town in northern Iowa. I have changed some place names, but the streets and descriptions of places are real, based on my own memory._

 _The subject matter of this story is based in the paranormal world of ghosts and ghost hunting. While there will be moments of comedy, the subject will be treated with respect and all seriousness. If the subject matter offends you, then again, please find another story to read._

 _Also, this story is told in an almost vignette style. Each place they investigate is its own story, however, a constant background thread will keep the story tied together._

 _I have spent many, many hours doing research on the subject, but if you have any questions, please feel free to private message me at any time. I hope you enjoy the story and if you do, please leave a review. Even a word or two can be encouragement, I don't even mind if you just say update, it lets me know you care enough to leave a review._

 _Constructive criticism is always welcome, destructive criticism is not._

 _I will hush now and let you get on with reading. Please, enjoy chapter one of "The Haunted: A Ghost Story."_

 _Thank you. Lady Dragonsblood_

As usual he was late. The tall, lanky, long haired blond looked at the old fashioned pocket watch. It had belonged to his grandfather and was one of his most treasured items.

The hazel eyes of the blond scanned the area. He knew someone wanted to speak to him, but he simply didn't have the time, he had to get to work. His boss could be a real bastard at times, and he knew that better than anyone. He'd been married to the boss for the last five years, and happily so.

The blond man who's name was Adam Joseph Copeland-Reigns looked to where his feelings pointed. "I'm sorry, I'm late for work. Find me later, I'll listen for you, I promise," he spoke to seemingly no one. Adam then jogged down the campus sidewalk.

Adam was a psychic medium, he could feel and speak to people who had crossed over into death. When Adam was a child, his mother Judy, simply thought he had a very active imagination. He was always talking to imaginary friends. Judy didn't worry to much about it; at first.

Adam had been born on October thirtieth, in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada. Judy struggled to make a happy home for her son. Adam's father hadn't been ready to be a parent, so one morning Judy woke up to find a note on the kitchen table. Her husband said he was sorry, but a baby was too much to handle. He wanted her to divorce him and never look for him. Judy was heartbroken at first. Soon though, she realized that it had probably been for the best. As he grew up, Judy never talked to Adam about his father, and Adam never asked. They didn't need anyone else, they had each other.

When Adam got to be ten years old, Judy thought enough was enough. What Adam needed was a real friend. She knew her son was terribly shy and his teachers at school said Adam always played by himself and avoided interacting with his classmates. Judy wondered if Adam needed a change, so she started looking for another job.

Judy found a job as the head secretary in the Athletic Department on the campus of the Northern Iowa University. The college was located in the pretty town of Cedar Falls, Iowa. She told Adam they were going on an adventure, and so they moved.

Judy rented an apartment in a complex with several young couples. She hoped Adam would find a friend among the many children. It also helped, that because Judy now worked for the college, Adam could attend the private school on the campus for free.

The private school was like a learning lab for the University students who majored in Education. It was also an advantage to attend the school as a student. The student to teacher ratio was low. One teacher might only have five students, so the teaching could be a lot more intense. New ways of teaching and experimental subjects could also be taught. It was a wonderful school and Judy was thrilled that Adam could attend.

However, despite all her efforts, Adam still isolated himself and played with his invisible friends. That is, until one day when a new neighbor moved into the apartment next door.

A young widow, Carol Reso and her ten year old son, Jason moved in. Carol had recently been hired by the local public high school to be the new Home Economics teacher. Carol and Judy met in the hallway and it was like meeting a long, lost sister. They were instant friends and for the first time, Adam took to Jason like a duck to water. Judy was so pleased she cried.

Adam was fascinated by the ninja star Jason carried around. He told Jason it had once belonged to a mighty warrior. Jason liked the stories Adam told him. He just thought his new friend had a great imagination and took Adam's ravings as a part of him.

One day, everything changed. Judy, Carol and Adam were eating supper while Jason was at his swimming class. Adam looked at Carol and spoke. "Ralph didn't mean to die. He wanted to get home faster, so he changed planes. He didn't know it would crash. He's really sorry and he loves you and Jaybird very much."

Carol's hand flew to her mouth in shock. No one but Ralph called Jason, Jaybird. He'd given his son the nickname on the day Jason was born. He said the tuft of blond hair on the baby's head reminded him of the tuft of a blue jay.

Judy looked at her son. "Adam, who told you that?" she spoke sharply. She saw the pain in her friends eyes, was Adam being cruel? She had to know.

Adam chewed his food, swallowed and looked at his mother. "Ralph Reso. He's standing right there," Adam pointed to an empty space, next to Carol. He was matter of fact and ate another french fry.

Judy knew right then Adam had a problem. She wasn't exactly sure what to do. She looked at Carol. Carol had the most peaceful expression on her face. Judy was puzzled, did Carol believe Adam?

Adam piped up again. "Ralph says your smile is pretty. You are his sunshine. He's happy," he continued to eat like it was the most natural thing in the world to talk to empty spaces and invisible people.

Carol reached over and brushed a few strands of dirty colored blond hair from Adam's face. "Thank you, Adam. You have a very precious gift." She kissed his little cheek.

Adam ducked away shyly, but he had a soft smile on his lips. Carol believed him. No one had truly believed him before, and it made him feel good.

Over the years, Judy came to accept Adam's gift. She'd taken him to a Professor in the Parapsychology Department at the University. He was a young man by the name of Bray Wyatt.

Bray worked with Adam and taught the boy how to control his gift. Control was important or Adam could be driven insane. He taught Adam that it wasn't being mean or rude to tell the spirits to leave him alone. It was the most valuable lesson Adam ever learned. It probably kept him from a life of insanity.

Bray became a father figure to Adam and over the years they grew close. He was the one Adam trusted and depended on especially when the spirits got demanding.

Wyatt was now the Dean and Head of the Parapsychology Department at the University. It was one of the few places were parapsychology could be studied with complete seriousness. Bray ran a tight ship and didn't put up with any nonsense.

Adam went on to study to the different areas of Parapsychology. His favorite was the study of mystic cultures in ancient societies and how the practices were still handed down through the generations. In one of his classes, he met his soul mate.

Roman Reigns was a handsome man of Samoan heritage. He was tall and had long, black hair that fell in soft waves down his back. He had beautiful piercing dark gray eyes that Adam got lost in.

Roman was a graduate student and was the Aide for the Professor of the fourth year Parapsychology class. Reigns was working on his Doctorate in Parapsychology. He wanted to teach at the University in the future.

When Adam had walked in, on the first day of class, Roman's breath left his body. The blond was the most beautiful man he'd ever laid eyes on. Adam sensed Roman almost before he saw him. He heard his late grandmother whisper in his ear, that Roman was his soul mate.

Adam's grandmother was his spirit guide. She was the one that helped protect Adam from over zealous spirits and evil demons that tried to invade his mind and body. Bray had taught Adam that a spirit guide was essential and to chose one he could trust. It was easy for Adam. His grandmother had been the first spirit to visit him and she told little Addy she would always watch over and protect him. She happily agreed to be his guide to the other side.

When that first class was over, Roman asked Adam to go out for coffee. After that, they were inseparable. Judy loved Roman as well and was glad her baby had found such a wonderful, caring boyfriend.

Jason and Adam remained as close as brothers. Roman had to face a hard time to prove to Jason his love for Adam was real. Roman thought Jason was worse than any father. However, Roman passed, Jason approved, Adam was relieved.

As close as Jason and Adam were, Jason was a skeptic. It wasn't that he didn't believe Adam, he just couldn't make himself believe in ghosts. It didn't really bother Adam, a bit of healthy skepticism kept him grounded. Sometimes people tried to take advantage of Adam and Jason was good at spotting them. Adam trusted Jason's instincts as did Roman. They all had a close, bonded friendship.

Jason had become a police officer for the Cedar Falls Police Department. He was the Sargent in charge of the College Hill area of town. It was where he and Adam had grown up. Jay knew every street, alley and house. He know all of the businesses as well. It also meant he often worked closely with the Campus Police.

One night a drunken college student had accidentally punched Jason in the jaw when he tried to break up a fight. It earned the student a night in jail, and Jason a trip to the dentist the next morning. When Jason walked into the Dentists office, he lost his heart. Sitting at the reception window was the cutest little red-head he'd ever seen. Jason learned the boys name was Heath Slater. Jason was totally smitten.

Heath on the other hand was lot more guarded. It took Jason an hour to pry a phone number from Heath. It took five phone calls to get Heath to go out for lunch.

Jason learned Heath had moved to Iowa from West Virginia to go to the University. Heath worked odd jobs to pay for his education. He was majoring in business communications. Heath wanted to be and executive secretary. He told Jason he found the work interesting and challenging, but he wasn't doing as well as he'd hoped. He tended to be a bit unorganized and that didn't mix well with his chosen occupation.

Heath took his general studies classes and found he liked being a Temp. His jobs changed before they got boring, and he got to meet a lot of different people.

When Jason took Heath to meet Adam and Roman, it was a great success. Heath learned, in the restaurant restroom about Adam's gift. Adam and Heath were side by side washing their hands. Adam was so struck by a spirit voice, he nearly fell over. Heath thought his new friend was ill. He went to help Adam, but Adam stopped him. Adam told him to wait. Heath was worried but he waited.

Heath noticed Adam seemed to be talking to someone. His lips moved but no words were heard. Adam turned to Heath. "Your mom is proud of you, but she misses you. She wants you to call, collect, she doesn't mind. Your grandfather said if you don't call her, he's gonna box yer ears." he almost laughed as he spoke.

Heath's mouth fell open. "How... he... always... threatened to box my ears, but he never did... he laughed instead," Heath was stunned by Adam's words, and more so the fact that Adam laughed after talking about boxing his ears.

With a bit of a sigh, Adam briefly explained about his gift, and that when the spirits spoke, he had to tell their message. It always worried Adam he first time he told someone about his gift, he was never sure how it would go over.

Heath looked at Adam. He could tell Adam was completely serious. "I believe you. My momma has always felt her dad, my grandpa, was watching over us. I'll call momma tonight, as soon as I get home. Thank you, Adam," he gave his new friend a little hug.

Many people came into the lives of the two couples. One of their favorites was Doctor Hunter Helmsley and his husband, Shawn.

Hunter was a General Practitioner and had an office on the Hill. He was good doctor and the students liked him because his fees were easy on their budgets. Shawn was the Pastor of the College Hill Congregational Church they all attended. It was a lovely little stone church that sat next to the big park on Seerly Boulevard. The street ran from downtown to the Hill and was lined by large, pretty oak and elm trees.

Another member of their group was Doctor Chris Jericho. Chris was a Professor of History at the college and had recently taken over as Head of the Department. His long, hard work on his Doctorate had finally paid off. If Adam had a question about the historical nature of a spirit, Chris could provide the answer.

Hunter, Chris and even Shawn supported and believed in Adam's gift. Shawn said even though the Bible spoke against such things, he also knew there were Biblical prophets, and he knew Adam had a special gift. He was not about to judge anyone or anything, that wasn't his job.

Roman was thrilled when his friend, Dean Ambrose moved to Cedar Falls. He and Dean had grown up together in Florida. During their junior year of high school, Dean's mom moved to Ohio and Dean went with her. Dean had a hard life. His mom wasn't the best, but he took care of her. When she died, Dean moved to be closer to Roman. Dean had a very wild side, but he was goodhearted and good natured.

Dean bought an old pizza restaurant on the Hill and turned it into a fantastic bar, called The Lunatic Fringe. Lunatic Fringe was a good way to describe Dean, and the bar became the regular hangout for the group of friends.

Seth Rollins, a computer genius, worked at the Fringe as a bartender. It helped pay for his tuition and rent. Seth and Dean started dating and now lived together over the bar.

There were two other members of the circle of friends, but they didn't hang out much with the others. They helped out when Adam had problem spirits.

Mark Calaway was a Demonologist. He knew demons were real and he knew how to protect not only Adam, but anyone in trouble.

Mark's lover was Wade Barrett, from Manchester, England. Wade was a White Wizard. He could do things that were unexplainable. It ran in his blood, all the way back to the ancient Druids.

Time passed. Adam and Roman had just celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary. Heath and Jason had also married and their third anniversary was coming up.

Adam was not only Roman's secretary, he also taught a class in Mystic Cultures. He enjoyed the work and found it rewarding. Although Roman could be a tough boss, husband or not, Adam could always sex his way out of trouble.

Roman had earned his Doctorate in Parapsychology, and taught a full load of classes each semester. His classes were always full. Adam was never quite sure if it was Roman's teaching skills or his looks that made his classes so popular. It didn't matter, Roman was faithful and his eye never strayed from Adam's perfect ass.

Word of Adam's gift slowly got out. It wasn't something he really wanted made public, but it was Shawn who came up with the idea of Adam using his gift to help people.

Roman and Adam spent many nights talking over the idea. Sometimes the other members of the group chimed in their thoughts. In the end it was Carol Reso who made up Adam's mind. She reminded him of the wonderful, peaceful feeling Adam had given her when he was only ten years old. She said if Adam could bring that kind of peace to an aching soul, alive or passed, then he had the responsibility to do so.

So, that was how the College Hill Ghost Hunters were born. Adam wasn't thrilled about being called a ghost hunter, it sounded too "Hollywood". Seth was the one that said the name worked. It might _be_ cheesy, but it _was_ what they did, so the name stuck.

All the friends had a part in the business. Adam, of course, was the leader with Roman at his side. Dean and Seth became good investigators. Dean because he had no fear and Seth because he used his computer skills to build scientific equipment that would allow the spirits to communicate with them.

Hunter was on hand in case of an injury. Sometimes they were called to an old building with dangerous loose boards, broken glass and nails. Having a Doctor along often came in very handy.

Shawn was there to bless homes and people. More than once he'd had to pray away a demon or evil intended spirit.

Mark Calaway often helped Shawn, especially when demons came into play. Wade worked protection for Mark and the others when times called for it.

Chris' job was to know the history of the case. What was on the property, and who had once lived there. He could also tell Mark some of the history of where the demon legends came from.

Jason's job was to keep them safe. Sometimes criminals hid in the old buildings they worked in. Heath was the one that would do all the interview's and screened their potential clients.

Everyone was equally as important, they had to work together. Another thing Adam had been very firm about, never, ever would they charge money for their services. They would also refuse any gifts of money, or anything else from clients. It was not about money, it was about helping people; period.

Roman, Adam, Heath, Jason, Mark and Wade all lived in a large, three story house on Olive Street. The house was one block from the campus and three blocks from the business district of the Hill.

Jason and Heath lived on the first floor. Mark and Wade lived on the second and Adam and Roman lived on the third floor. It was perfect. They were close, yet each couple had their own apartment. There was also a full basement that was cave like in the rear part. It was where they did their laundry and also hid from occasional tornadic thunderstorms.

There was a nice four car garage in back of the house. They had cars, but usually they either walked or rode their bicycles. It was such a convenient place to live.

Hunter and Shawn lived further down Olive Street on the corner with Seerly Boulevard. Their two story brick house was also across the Boulevard from the church.

When they wanted to meet to talk about a case, they went to the Lunatic Fringe. Dean kept a private room, upstairs just for their meetings.

Adam wanted a small office where they could meet clients, but so far hadn't found one. Office space on the Hill was limited and that's where they wanted to be. So, for now, they made the best of it.

Usually they met clients in their homes or once in a while a client would come to the house on Olive Street. Sometimes a client was really nervous and would rather meet at the park. It worked, but still, Adam wanted an office.

Adam hurried to Roman's office. He was terribly late, but the real estate agent had called about an office space. Adam went to look, but he didn't like the location. It was too far from the main Hill district. It also didn't feel right.

Adam sighed, the line of students outside Roman's office was longer than he hoped it would be. He ignored the whispered remarks as he unlocked the door. He turned to the students.

"Sorry I'm late. Give me five minutes and I'll start making appointments," Adam smiled softly and entered the office. He closed the door behind him.

"ADAM JOSEPH!" Roman's voice boomed from his office. Adam took a deep breath, then went to Roman.

"I'm sorry, babe. The real estate agent was late. I tried to be as fast as possible," Adam gave a small pout and flashed, sad, puppy dog eyes.

Roman rolled his eyes, then smiled a half crooked smile. "You're such a puppy. You know I'm not really mad at you, I could never be. Oute alofa la te oe, very much," he stood up and pulled Adam into his arms and kissed him deeply.

Adam moaned into the kiss. No one kissed like his Islander, just no one. Adam wrapped his arms around Roman's neck and plunged his tongue deeper into Roman's mouth.

Roman reluctantly broke the kiss. "I have enough trouble with students. They don't need to see my dick hard," he gave Adam a swat on the butt and sent him to work.

Adam left with a laugh and went to his desk in the outer office. He pulled out Roman's appointment book and called for the first student. For the next hour, Adam carefully scheduled his husband's day. It was going to be a busy one.

In between Roman's appointments, Adam worked on the questions for the semester test of the class he taught. He hoped Heath would type it later, Adam's typing skills weren't that great especially under pressure.

When the last student left Roman's office, he gave Adam a dirty look and slammed the door on his way out. Adam laughed.

"I know grandma, but someone always has to try," Adam spoke aloud as he finished writing the questions he was working on.

"Don't worry grandma, Adam is the only one for me," Roman said with a laugh as he came out of his office. He carried a black leather brief case in his left hand.

Adam smiled at his husband. "Off to class?" he asked as he re-stacked the papers on his desk.

"Yeah, I'll be home around five. Have the barbecue set up," he gave Adam a quick kiss, then left. He was a bit late for his last class of the day.

Adam gave Roman a nod and wave. He answered the telephone that sat on his desk. "Doctor Reigns' office, how may I help you?" he asked in a calm, professional tone.

At the big house on Olive Street, Heath hung up the phone. He'd just reminded Adam to pick up some ice on the way home. The group was getting together for their monthly dinner party. It was the Olive Street houses turn to host. Roman was doing an Island cook out.

It was unusual, but they used the front yard for the cook out. Mainly because they could use the huge, wrap around porch that graced the front of the house. Two large porch swings hung on each side, with white wicker furniture in other strategic places.

By seven o'clock that evening, everyone had arrived. Hunter, Roman, Wade and Dean were in charge of cooking the meat on the big barbecue grill Adam had set up. Inside, in Heath's kitchen, Shawn and Heath were putting different kinds of salads in colorful plastic bowls.

Seth, Mark, Jason, Adam and Chris were on the porch having a discussion about a possible case, right on the campus. Lawthor Hall, one of the female residence halls was supposedly haunted. Some of the girls swore the piano on the first floor played, long after everyone was asleep.

Chris Jericho took a long drag from his cigarette. "Well, Bray is all for it. You know who the problem is," the smoke curled from his lips like a faint spirit as he spoke.

Adam let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes, I do. I don't understand it. The University is know for its Paranormal Department. It's a main reason some students come here, yet he wants to get rid of it!" he slammed down the bottle of beer he'd been drinking.

The "he" Adam had referred to was Paul Heyman. He was the President of the Northern Iowa University. Heyman hated the Parapsychology Department with a passion. He thought the whole thing was a lot of phony bunkum, and there were no such things as ghosts, spirits or demons. Heyman said it made his college the laughing stock of the academic world.

Roman glanced over at his husband. He could tell Adam was furious. "Must be talking about President Heyman," he whispered quietly to Hunter.

Hunter too glanced at the men on the porch. He nodded in agreement. "Hey Wade, can't you cast a spell to help persuade Heyman to let us investigate? Shawn said some of the girls are really scared," looked seriously at the Wizard.

Wade shook his head. "Wish there was... well, there is, but I can't do it. Alternation is a dark art. I won't do it, sorry," his English accent was thick when he spoke.

Hunter placed a hand on Wade's shoulder. "It's alright, Wade. I was only joking... sort of... Say, could I ask you a favor?" the physician asked, brow raised.

Wade turned the steak he was tending. "You can ask anything. Don't know if I grant what you ask, " he replied with a laugh.

Hunter smiled. "You know Adam let me do some medical research during one his... conversations. Could I do some on you, the next time you cast? Nothing weird, just blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, simple things. I found it fascinating. Adam nearly stops breathing during a conversation, but it has no adverse affect on him," Hunter explained as honestly as he could. He did find the studies interesting.

Wade scratched the dark beard on his chin. "Can I think about it, Hunter? Casting is usually extremely private. A distraction could alter the cast. That could be dangerous if I'm casting protection. It's not that I don't trust you, understand?" he responded as he turned another steak.

Roman entered the conversation. "You know, maybe we could set up something in my lab. That way no one would be in danger," he looked at the two men with a highly arched left eyebrow.

Wade and Hunter both smiled. Wade spoke first. "I would be willing to do that. If it would help," he responded with enthusiasm.

"That would be great. Thanks Roman and you too, Wade," the doctor was very happy with the idea.

Shawn and Heath came out of the house, a bowl in each hand. They set the bowls down on a card table Jason had set up.

"Are we ready to eat?" Shawn asked the group as he stood in the center of the porch.

"Steaks are done," Roman declared with a wave of the bamboo stick he used to cook slices of Samoan spiced pork. "The pork needs five more minutes."

Shawn smiled and bowed his head. The others followed his lead. The Pastor gave a short prayer of thanks and the group chorused an "Amen".

The group of friends picked up a plate each and filled them. Hunter and Shawn sat on one porch swing while Mark and Chris sat on the other. Wade sat in a wicker chair close to Mark. Seth and Dean sat on the porch floor, their backs against the railing. Roman and Adam also sat on the porch floor with their backs against the wall of the house. Jason and Heath sat on the front steps.

The eleven men continued the conversation about Paul Heyman and the situation at Lawthor Hall. In the distance, the campus clock tower known as The Campanile, chimed out a beautiful tune.

Every evening, graduate music students took a turn at playing the organ like keyboard that controlled the ropes of the bells. It was one of the few colleges where a person could learn to play the complicated instrument. The residents of the College Hill area held the tower, its clock and bells near and dear to their hearts.

"Chris, where is Bray? I thought he was going to be here tonight?" Adam asked the older man as he took a bite of delicious Samoan pork.

"He had to finish approving the Doctoral thesis of three students. I forgot to tell you. He said sorry he couldn't be here," Jericho replied after he sipped his beer. While not officially a couple, Chris Jericho and Bray Wyatt dated on occasion. It was more like friends with benefits.

Bray also had two younger lovers, Erick Rowan and Luke Harper. He kept the relationship private, neither Adam nor Chris knew them very well. They lived in Louisiana, where Bray spent his semester breaks.

"Don't worry about it, Chris. He didn't say for sure he would come. So, what do we do?" Roman asked the group in general.

Dean swallowed his bite of food, then waved his fork in the air. "We could force him to let us investigate," he stabbed the air with the fork.

Seth reached out and placed his hand on Dean's extended arm. The touch calmed Dean and he lowered the fork with a sheepish grin.

"I might soon agree with Dean. Some of those girls are really scared. I asked grandma to try to talk to the spirit, but she can't bring it forward. I have to be in the building. Why is Paul so against us?" Adam gave a sigh as he stabbed at a cherry tomato in his salad.

"I'll talk to him. Hopefully he'll care more about frightened students than anything else." Shawn answered with confidence. He'd also put in some heavy prayer time to help.

Hunter gave Shawn's knee a pat. "I'm sure you'll manage it. Roman, are you ever going to give me the recipe for this pork?" he asked, then took a huge bite of food. Shawn just shook his head.

Roman grinned. "Never. You want me to suffer the wrath of my family? To be honest, even I don't know everything in the spice rub. My cousin Dwayne sends it to us twice a year when he makes it," he spoke with pride and watched as Mark devoured the last piece of the pork with gusto.

"I wanted that!" Wade exclaimed as he watched his lover eat the last slice of pork.

"Sorry, dear. Big man, big appetite," Mark's deep voice echoed with mirth. Everyone laughed. Mark rarely spoke, but when he did, it was usually funny or at least full of impish mischief, unless he was at an investigation, then he was always serious. Mark found he had to have a good sense of humor. Dealing with demons could be depressing. Demons loved to try to bring Mark down, he had to work hard to fight them.

"I'll cook a whole pig on our next turn. We'll go down to the Cedar River so I can dig a pig pit on the beach. I'll really show you a Samoan cook out. Jason, Heath, it's time," Roman winked at the couple on the steps.

Heath gave a little squeal. He, Jason and Roman had thought of a great surprise for dessert. The Resos jumped up and went into the house.

Jason and Heath returned. Jason carried an old fashioned ice cream churn, that dripped salty water. Heath carried a platter of chocolate chip cookies he'd made.

Everyone gasped, they hadn't had homemade ice cream in ages. The mixture had been freezing in the darkest part of the basement and only needed a few minutes of final churning.

"Sorry about the cookies. They may look odd, but they taste good. I didn't burn them this time," Heath said with a laugh as he put down the platter of cookies. Some were round some were nearly square, but he'd tried and no one cared how they looked. They tasted wonderful.

The group enjoyed their evening together. They never took these peaceful moments for granted. They never knew when some sly spirit or demon would try to destroy them.

 _ **Additional Author's Note:  
**_

 _I will now give you a list of the Samoan phrases used throughout the story._

 _Llo'u au: my love_

 _Lo'u tava nau: my desire_

 _Pele ea: precious_

 _Oute alofa la te oe: I love you_

 _Mata Aulelei: Pretty eyes_


	2. Mandalay

A week after the cook out, the College Hill Ghost Hunters were meeting in their private room at the Lunatic Fringe. Along with the eleven ghost hunters were two young ladies.

April Lee and Natalie Neidhart had been chosen to be the ones to meet with the ghost hunters. They were the Student Resident Directors of Lawthor Hall. Part of their job was to help the Dorm Mother look after things.

They would have to do it without anyone finding out. It would be difficult, as the college newspaper, "The Lion", had already reported the strange happenings at Lawthor Hall. It didn't help that that newspaper's student Editor, Stephanie McMahon, lived in Lawthor Hall.

Heath sat next to Adam and busily made notes in a book, just for this case. Part of his job was to make notes of each case they worked on. Dean and Seth each brought in a tray of coffee. They put the trays down and once everyone was served, the meeting began in earnest.

Shawn spoke first. "Before we start to discuss anything, you girls must promise this will stay out of the media. This includes The Lion," he spoke kindly but firmly.

April and Natalie looked at each other. Natalie responded. "You do know the Editor of The Lion lives in Lawthor. Stephanie has already reported on the mysterious piano playing. There is one good thing, next week is Greek Week. The big dance is Saturday night, over at the Dome. The dance is an all nighter, and all the girls will be there. Steph will be there for sure," she explained in a thoughtful tone.

Jason looked at Shawn. "She's right. Most of my guys are helping the Campus Police patrol the Dome. I'll also make sure no one enters Lawthor without one of us along. Heath, Dean and Seth can help," he looked at the three men he'd just spoken of. The three nodded in agreement.

Adam lit a cigarette. He didn't smoke often, but he did during these meetings. Strangely, he'd discovered that when he smoked, the spirits left him alone, sometimes even his grandmother left. It became his way of saying he needed to be able to think without spirit interruption. "Tell me about the piano playing. Is it random notes, or an actual tune?" Adam asked with a slow exhale of smoke.

April shrugged. "I have to be honest, I've never heard the piano... but... um... well...," she hesitated, she'd never spoken about this before.

"It's alright. I promise, whatever it is, I won't think you're crazy," Adam spoke through another exhale of smoke.

April bit her lip then continued. "I saw a lady in white. She stood at the foot of my bed. I blinked and she was gone," April quickly looked at Natalie to see how she would react.

Natalie's eyes grew wide. "I saw her too, on the stairs one night. I'd heard the piano and went down to check it out. I saw her on the stairs on the way back up to my dorm. She just vanished. Oh, and the piano... it's was almost like it was trying to play a song, but couldn't remember how it went," Natalie explained what she had seen and heard without hesitation.

Heath made quick notes of Natalie's story. Adam gave him a minute to catch up as he lit a fresh cigarette. Roman hated to see Adam smoke, but he understood why his husband did it. Heath gave Adam a nod, as he finished writing.

"Thank you for sharing, both of you. I know it isn't easy. What have you heard other girls say?" Adam asked, brow raised. He hoped their jobs at the hall meant other residents would talk to them about things they say and heard.

Again Natalie spoke. "A couple of the girls felt their hair being pulled. One told me she felt a hand on her shoulder..." Natalie paused to think, now was the time to finally talk about everything.

April chimed in. "I'm... well... our Dorm Mother, she confessed to me once... oh... I promised I'd never tell... I'm torn..." she bit her lip again in worry.

Adam put his hand on April's shoulder. "It's okay. I'll assume she had an experience. You don't have to break your promise," he reassured the nervous girl in soft voice with a kind smile.

April was relieved. Adam's kindness also increased her belief that they were doing the right thing. "Thank you Professor Reigns. All I know for sure is, that a lot of the girls are scared. Several of the Freshmen have requested to move. There just isn't room to move them to other dorms. As you know, they must live on campus," she expounded with greater confidence.

Adam nodded. "I remember. Anything else you can tell me? Even the smallest thing can be important and helpful," he pressed one more time for any information.

"Things go missing sometimes, Professor Reigns. Keys, pens, books... they are found, but in odd places, usually on or near the piano," Natalie added after some thought.

Adam smiled. "You can call me Adam, off campus. I see, well, that's enough for now. Heath will contact you about Saturday. I know the dance is a big deal, but at least one of you will need to be at Lawthor," he exhaled another puff of smoke.

With that said, the two girls shook hands with the group of ghost hunters and bid them good bye. Jason offered to walk them back to Lawthor Hall, but Natalie said they were meeting friends at the bookstore, just up the block.

"I've heard of that McMahon kid. Jason, you'd better be on your toes. She gets a whiff of this, she won't be at that dance," Dean quipped with a smirk.

"She is quite a determined girl. She's in my honors history class. Dean is right. You know Heyman will go ballistic if this gets out," Chris Jericho added as he sipped his coffee.

Shawn frowned. "That can not happen. Perhaps I should speak with Miss McMahon?"

Chris rubbed his face with his hand. "No, Shawn. I wouldn't risk letting her know about the investigation. She's too clever, wicked clever. Her father is Vince McMahon he owns KWWL, over in Waterloo. You know what their news team is like, get the story, no matter who you run over. Vince taught them that, so I'm sure he taught his daughter the same lesson," he spoke with a slight bitter tone.

Everyone in the group nodded. Hunter gritted his teeth. "Cedar Falls General lost of its best surgeons because of McMahon. The man had a flawless reputation, but he had one patient die and McMahon was over him like fly paper. It was terrible, that Doctor was a good friend. Now, he's trying to be a farmer, what a waste of surgical talent. Chris is right, Miss McMahon can't find out about this," his eyes almost shot sparks as he spoke.

Adam changed the subject. "We have an investigation to plan. Chris, see if you can find out anything about the history of the piano. It seems to be the main focus of the activity. Seth, make sure we have all the audio equipment and enough video cameras. Heath, don't be any where near Lawthor Hall when you speak to April or Natalie. Wade, I'll need you and Mark to figure out what we're dealing with. It sounds benign, but you know that can be a miss-projection. Dean, you will need to help Jason this time, security must be tight. Hunter, you and Shawn just do your usual. Roman, my love, I'll need you close. Well, I think that's everything," Adam finished his mental list as he stubbed out his last cigarette.

"I'll have to go way back in the records. I'm sure the piano was probably a gift. At least that means it should be listed. Shouldn't be too difficult," Chris half muttered as he spoke and wrote a note at the same time.

"I can help you, Chris. I don't have a temp job tomorrow. I'll start in the library?" Heath spoke in a helpful tone, and a raised brow. He loved it when he had time to help, especially when he could help Chris with the historical research.

Chris smiled. "Be glad to have the help. Semester test time is difficult enough without an investigation. However, hopefully, the students will be too busy studying to notice us," he gave Heath's ginger hair a ruffle.

Jason smiled proudly at his husband. It made Heath as happy a pup when he could really help. He gave Adam a wink, they had both done well in their marriages. Adam returned Jason's wink, he understood.

Later that night, in the bedroom of their third floor apartment, Adam was face down on the bed with his ass in the hands of his husband, as Roman was buried balls deep inside Adam's tight heat.

Roman was on his knees, as he pumped his cock in and out of Adam's ass. Beads of sweat rolled down his body and splashed on Adam's equally sweaty body. The room was warm with the Indian Summer heat.

Groans and whimpers filled the room as Adam slid against the sheets. Adam's cock was pressed between his body and the bed and the stimulation was fantastic as Roman pounded into him.

Roman's long hair fell in a damp curtain around his face. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Adam's skin.

"Oh Ro... I'm... gonna... cum..." Adam managed to pant out the words. They were muffled by the pillow under his head. He let out a pleasured whimper.

Roman growled against Adam's skin as he gently bit Adam's back. He thrust his hips and their flesh slapped together as Roman's groin made contact with Adam's ass. With two loud roars, both Adam and Roman's cocks erupted with volcanic pleasure. Roman collapsed onto Adam's back and let his cock slip from Adam's well used hole.

After a few minutes of heavy panting and deep breaths, Roman slid off Adam's back and melted into their bed. Adam somehow managed to turn on his side and curl up against his husband. He laid his sweaty blond head on Roman's shoulder. Roman wrapped his arms around Adam and held him close.

Adam had known the minute he'd met Roman their souls had been lovers in at least one past life. Whenever they made love, it felt like the old souls rejoiced. It was a very powerful feeling; almost spiritual. Roman felt it too and felt the same way as Adam.

They lay in silence. They communicated their love for each other through gentle caresses with their fingertips. Each caress was an "I love you," each tender kiss was "forever". They feel asleep to the soft sounds of the night as they flowed in through the open window.

Downstairs, in their bedroom, Jason and Heath also lay in each others arms. Heath's skin was flushed and Jason's cheeks were red. They had just made love for the second time that night.

"You're gonna kill me one of these days Gingersnap," Jason's words came in a breath laced pant, and airy laugh.

Heath's pale skin flushed even deeper. "Yeah, but Daddy, can there be any better way to go?" Heath gave Jason's lips a sloppy, wet peck.

Jason chuckled. "No, I guess not. I gotta get some sleep though. Chief will be up from downtown in the morning. Has to make sure I'm doing my job," He spoke through a wide, open mouthed yawn. He pulled Heath in close and held him tight. They too drifted off to the sounds of the night. Peace and love filled the big house on Olive Street.

The next day, Heath had been pleasantly surprised when Adam found him in the research department of the University library. Heath was helping Chris like he promised.

"Well hey, boss!" Heath whispered when Adam pulled up a chair and sat down next to him.

Adam smiled. "Hey, Heath. Find anything?" he asked as he looked at the microfilm reader screen. Most the older University records were still kept on the old microfilm system.

Heath's smile vanished. "No, not yet, but I've just started. I'm looking for things that have been donated to the college. So far, it's mostly paintings and other furniture," he pointed to a few items on the screen.

Adam pulled his glasses case from his pocket, opened it and slid on his thin wire framed glasses. He only needed the glasses for reading small print, like that on the microfilm reader or a computer screen. He looked to where Heath pointed.

"Hum... Portrait of a Lady, given by the Mandalay Foundation, nineteen thirty six. Currently hangs in the reception room of Lawthor Hall. I wonder... make a note of that. Maybe Chris can dig deeper, find out more who the lady is," Adam gave a shrug. No feelings washed over him, however, that didn't always happen.

"Mandalay... where do I know that from?" Heath scratched his head. He should know this.

"Some know it as Litchfield Manor. It's that big house, on the bluff. You remember, it adjoins Lookout Park," the deeper whisper of Chris Jericho flowed over the shoulders of Adam and Heath.

Both younger men gave a slight start at the sudden voice, Chris continued. "I know that portrait. I think it's the wife of Claude Litchfield. If I remember correctly, she's the one that designed and built the house," Chris spoke thoughtfully as he sat down.

Once again Chris spoke. "It was built in nineteen twenty two, very modern for the times. Had an automatic dishwasher, twelve telephones, a shooting gallery, gym, pool room and a bowling lane in the basement. There were fifty-six rooms over three wings. Much later, it was turned into a night club, then it was converted to apartments. A fire gutted it in nineteen seventy seven. It's still standing. Once in a while someone will get the hope to restore it. It's on the list of the Cedar Falls Historical Society. Could be the piano came from the house as well. Good work, Heath... you too, Adam," Chris whispered as he wrote down some notes.

Heath too made notes in the notebook he'd labeled " _LAWTHOR HALL"_. Keeping notes was vitally important, many times research done on one case, helped with another.

Adam sat back in his chair. "Maybe we should check out Mandalay. Could be it's a cross visitation," he still didn't pick up anything, but again he didn't always. Some spirits made him work very hard to find the answers.

"Should I get the gang together?" Heath turned to Adam and whispered with excitement. Heath loved it when a case started to come together so quickly.

"I'm free," Chris said with a nod. He had taken over the controls and rapidly scanned the microfilm.

Adam pulled a small day planner from the briefcase he carried with him. It had both his and Roman's complete list of appointments and schedules. He'd be lost without it.

"We're free too. Send a text. Meet at the house at seven. We'll go from there," Adam said with a nod as he made the note on the calendar he'd turned to. "I'd better go, Roman needs me to filter students," he put the day planner back, shut the briefcase and stood.

Heath and Chris just nodded, they were lost in the microfilm on the screen. Adam smiled, and often wondered how he'd managed to have such good friends. He remembered his early childhood, afraid to make friends. He always thought people would think he was crazy. The spirits were his only friends, until he met Jay.

Later that night, two black SUV's pulled into Lookout Park. Much to their surprise, the park was empty. It was a local lover's lane type spot, where people could look out over the Cedar River valley. It was beautiful in the moonlight.

Mark Calaway drove one vehicle, Roman the other. Between the two SUV's, eleven men disembarked. They moved in almost total silence.

"I told the Chief we'd be here tonight, so we aren't trespassing," Jason whispered as they removed several black tote boxes from the backs of the two vehicles.

"Good. Thanks, Jay. Everybody grab a flashlight. Seth video, Heath audio. Everyone have their kit?" Adam asked the group in a quiet voice.

Each member of the team carried a backpack of vital investigation equipment. A small but intense flashlight, a EMF reader to measure electricity in the atmosphere, a slimline digital voice recorder and a small "walkie talkie" for communicating. There was also other more complex scientific equipment, but they didn't use everything in every case.

Each ghost hunter checked their pack and gave a thumbs up. Roman led the group towards the dark shadow of a large building. Even in the moonlight, they could tell the old mansion was covered in ivy, as if nature was trying to claim it.

Before they entered the abandoned property, both Shawn and Wade, each in their own way, prayed for protection for the group. They never began an investigation until the prayers had been made. Shawn and Wade never argued or talked about their vast differences in their faiths. It was up to neither to judge the other. They respected each other, and that was the best thing for the group. Each man had their own value to the team, and were respected by everyone.

Adam closed his eyes as he stood in the doorway of the mansion. He reached out and touched the wall. Sometimes, he picked up vibrations through psychometry.

Roman found psychometry fascinating. By touching a wall, or an object, Adam could sometimes pick up extra sensory readings. It brought a literal sense to saying "if these walls could talk", because sometimes, they could. Roman held up an EMF meter to the spot where Adam's hand rested. He saw no abnormal readings.

The biggest part of their ghost hunting was the scientific research. Roman wanted to be able to scientifically prove the abilities that Adam had were real. Until that could be done, most of the world just thought it was hokum and bunkum, like University President Paul Heyman.

Adam understood what Roman wanted to do. He was all for it; to a point. Adam was afraid, if Roman did prove the reality of "his world", he would become a medical... monkey. Something to be experimented on, to be torn apart by well meaning scientists. Or if not him, other like him that had the same gifts. Roman had vowed to Adam he would not let that happen. However, he owed it to the world of academia to do his best to prove Adam's gift was real. He also vowed more to his beloved, that he would protect Adam with every fiber of his being. So would the others, no one would harm Adam Joseph Copeland-Reigns, just... no one.

Adam moved his hand to another spot on the wall. He mentally called out to any spirit that might be present. He gave a slight nod.

Dean understood the nod. He stepped further into the mansion. "Are there any astral beings present? If so, make a sound, or show yourself?" he called out in a loud voice.

Dean held up a voice recorder. Often times, the recorder picked up a voice that otherwise wasn't heard. This was called an EVP. EVP stood for Electronic Voice Phenomenon. Dean and Seth had a vast collection of EVP's they had gathered over the course of their investigations.

Seth snapped random pictures with a special camera. It took full spectrum images. It saw things a normal camera couldn't. Like the EVP's they had a collection of "strange" pictures.

Roman often used the results of their research in his classes. However, he always protected, not only the group, but their clients. He only used research gathered with the permission of the client. Clients varied. Some were eager to find out as much as they could and encouraged Roman's further study. Others wanted it kept private for fear of being called "crazy". Roman also had his Doctoral lab students sign contracts that would prevent them from discussing cases beyond the class room.

There were about ten graduate students, working on their Paranormal Doctorates that Roman and Adam trusted. They were the ones that sometimes helped analyze data from investigations. Their eyes and ears often caught something Seth or Dean missed. A couple of the students wanted to join the College Hill Ghost Hunters, but so far it hadn't been allowed, maybe someday, but not now.

The group had worked its way into the main part of the mansion. They were in what was once a formal reception room. Adam stood in front of a vast, empty fireplace.

Adam's lips moved silently. After a few moments he turned to the others. "Grandmother thinks there is someone here, but they won't show. She's trying to tell them it's alright. So lets keep going," he spoke softly as looked from person to person.

Mark and Wade had been in a distant corner of the room. They rejoined the others. "One good thing, whatever is here, isn't a demon. There is nothing evil here at all. Wade and I did all the checks; twice," Mark spoke with confidence. He never gave his thoughts or opinions until he and Wade had double checked all the possibilities. Mark took his work the most seriously of all the group. He had to, their lives depended on it.

"Good. Thanks, guys. Want to stay with us?" Roman asked the couple.

"We'll take a recorder to the basement. We know how you feel about basements, Adam." Wade spoke with a wink to their leader.

Adam rolled his eyes. "Well, that spirit startled me! He jumped right out of that beam! I saw you jump too!" he teased the Wizard with good nature.

"He's right, babe. You did jump. Come on, big bad Taker will protect you," Mark laughed and grabbed Wade's hand. The couple went towards the door that led down to the basement.

When the couple had vanished, Seth looked at Roman. "Who's Taker?" his brow arched with curiosity.

Hunter spoke up. "Before Mark became a mechanic, he went to school to be a Funeral Director. He told me they nicknamed him Undertaker, because of his size. You know, a big, scary funeral director. He saw his first demon in a cemetery, and studied Demonology after that, but the nickname stuck. Doesn't use it much now though," he explained to Seth with a mirth filled look.

The group became serious again. They moved through the main, downstairs part of the house in groups of at least two, they never went alone.

All of them tried calling out and used their equipment. Roman always followed Adam with a FLIR thermal imaging camera. The camera could pick up images of extreme cold or warmth that the naked eye could not see. With the FLIR, Roman could always tell when Adam was in communication with a spirit. Adam's thermal image would be outlined by an aura that resembled a rainbow. The more intense the contact, the more intense the rainbow became. Roman found it extremely interesting.

Adam shook his head. With the small walkie talkie they used to stay in contact with each other, he called the group together. They met at the bottom of the stairs that led to the upper floors of the mansion.

"Anyone catch anything?" Roman asked the group of ghost hunters. Sometimes it was frustrating they could investigate for hours and never see or hear anything.

"When Hunter and I were doing an EVP session in the dining room, we might have heard a few footsteps upstairs," Shawn said as he toyed with his digital voice recorder.

Shawn found the spot and pushed play. They listened closely. _"If you're here, can you give us a sign?...(faint sound of possible footsteps)... is that you?"_ Shawn stopped the recording of Hunter asking out for communication with a spirit.

"That's when you called us to meet here. It's faint, but could have been footsteps," Hunter reiterated the results of the recording.

"Upstairs it is then. Lets stay together," Adam suggested as he started up the staircase. Roman and the others followed. For a group of eleven, mostly large, muscular men, they moved in almost utter silence. Only the creak of old wood betrayed them as they moved up the stairs.

When they got to the top, Hunter pointed toward in the direction where they'd heard the possible footsteps. Adam walked down the hallway. He stopped so suddenly Roman almost crashed into him. The group waited to see what Adam would do.

Several cameras and recording devices were pointed at Adam and the area around him. Roman's FLIR camera had begun to pick up the faint rainbow outline of Adam's aura.

"Gertrude Litchfield, are you here?" Chris called out softly. He'd discovered a lot about the family that had built Mandalay.

There seemed to be a faint "tap tap" sound. All ears, eyes and devices turned toward the sound. Roman grew more excited as the rainbow aura that surrounded Adam grew sharper and more defined.

"Gertrude, do you miss your piano?" Chris asked another question. He'd learned that Mrs. Litchfield loved to play the piano during parties at the mansion. It was her old piano that now sat in Lawthor Hall.

There were two more taps, even fainter than the ones before. Adam took a few steps toward the tapping sounds. The aura grew brighter on the tiny screen of Roman's FLIR camera.

Adam took over asking the questions. "Gertrude, please, will you talk to me? I can hear you, You don't have to be afraid. No one here will harm you, I promise. We all respect you. You have a beautiful home," he spoke softly as if to an old friend.

The taps grew a bit louder and appeared to be closer. In silence, Dean and Seth continued to run their recording devices.

"Is it like Chris asked? Do you miss your piano? Do you like to go play it?" Adam took a pause between each question as if to wait for a reply. Hopefully, one would be heard later, when the data was analyzed.

The taps were the loudest yet and they seemed rather frantic. Adam again tried to coax the spirit to communicate through his grandmother.

Roman watched as Adam's aura grew bright, then faded so rapidly it almost vanished. He observed the actions repeat several times, then the aura vanished completely. Adam turned to face the group. He was a bit pale and looked rather tired. Dark circles began to grow around his eyes to show the tiredness that overtook him.

"That's it, she's gone. Not sure what happened. Grandmother had almost convinced her to talk to me... then she vanished. I'm tired. Dog n' Suds, please, Ro?" Adam asked in an exhausted voice. His body trembled a bit from the intense final encounter.

Roman clicked the FLIR off. He reached out and gently caressed Adam's cheek. "Of course, baby. You did really well. Anyone else for a root beer float?" he asked with a chuckle.

Everyone laughed. The group of Ghost Hunters packed up their equipment and together left the mansion known as Mandalay.

Twenty minutes later, the gang was gathered around a large, round picnic table. They were at the Dog n' Suds, an old fashioned drive-in, where waitresses on roller skates served their customers.

Adam always needed a heavy dose of sugar in his system after an intense encounter. A huge, frosty root beer float, hot dog and onion rings did the trick. The girls at the drive-in had grown used to the group of men and looked forward to seeing them. Not many people enjoyed the Dog n' Suds anymore. College students and the College Hill Ghost Hunters kept them in business.

"Chris, you and Heath did a great job. It was Gertrude Litchfield. I have a feeling, she will talk at Lawthor Hall. She's tied to her piano, so her aura will be stronger there," Adam spoke with more vigor as he sipped on his root beer float.

Both Heath and Chris grinned. Chris spoke. "Heath found the record of the portrait. That was the lead I needed. Good job, Heath," Chris gave Heath's ginger hair a tousle as he spoke. Mussing Heath's hair was his way of showing his appreciation.

Heath blushed furiously as he sipped his root beer through a red and white paper straw. Jason beamed proudly at his husband. He loved to hear praises for Heath, sometimes as the youngest, Heath was a tad overlooked.

Seth swirled an onion ring through a puddle of ketchup. "Well start on the data right away. Maybe she said something. At least we know right where to start the investigation on Saturday; the piano," he bit the crispy, drippy onion ring.

Adam nodded. "Yep. Will save a lot of time. Say... um... Islander, I wouldn't let the lab have this data, too risky," Adam used his favorite nickname for Roman with a smile.

"You're right, Viking. Dean, Seth be careful where you analyze that. Matter of fact, use my equipment in the basement. It's secure," Roman replied with his own nickname for Adam.

Dean scarfed down his last bite of double bacon cheeseburger with a nod. "Wanted to talk to you about that. We want to turn your basement into an office, at least until we find a real office space. We're running out of space and Seth needs room to build equipment. We could use that back part, behind the stairs," he lit a cigarette as he spoke.

The six occupants of the Olive Street house looked at each other. They all gave Roman a nod. "Good idea. I'll give you a key to the door. Park in back, it's easier to unload from there," Roman smiled. The should have thought of the idea before.

The very next day, Dean and Seth moved several boxes into the basement of 6152 Olive Street. They set up an area where Seth could work on new equipment and repair the old. They used the space Roman had already set up to start analyzing the data they had collected at Mandalay Mansion.

Both Seth and Dean sat stone still. They wore extremely sensitive headsets. Seth listened to all their audio recordings. His eyes were screwed tightly shut in deep concentration. Every once in a while, he'd pause the audio and write down the time stamp, and what he heard. He kept the paper out of Dean's line of sight.

Dean's eyes were open. He was watching the various video data that had been filmed. He too would pause, and make the same kind of notes as Seth. He too kept his findings from Seth.

When each man finished, they switched. Dean listened and Seth watched. They made new notes on the data. Hours later, when they finished they compared notes.

If a time stamp matched, they made another note of it, marking it as something absolute. If one or the other saw or heard something the other missed, the would watch or listen together. More often than not, that data was debunked, or dismissed as nothing. Maybe Seth had thought he'd heard a ghostly tap, then when Dean would listen again, it would turn out to be non-ghostly, like the creak of a board or sound from outside. It was a great way to double check everything, but it did take a long time. It was worth it though, and it was a great way to spend time together.

When Seth and Dean had all the data analyzed and pictures of interest printed out, they would call everyone together and present their findings.

They had finished the Mandalay data and had called the group to a meeting. It was Saturday morning. The ghost hunters sat at a large table in the Olive Street basement. The table was littered with donut boxes and coffee cups and pages of the gathered data.

Dean swallowed his bite of donut, sipped his coffee, then spoke. "We went over everything, twice. All we caught were the tapping sounds, and the aura around Adam. No pictures of anything certain, lots of orbs but you know how it is, old house, loads of dust, all debunked," he ended with a sigh. It was always a disappointment when they spent all that time and effort and came up so empty handed.

Adam chewed on the end of his pen. "Thanks, guys. Good work, as always. I'm sure this is all going to pay off tonight. We're meeting April and Natalie at nine, right?" he looked at the calendar in his day planner.

Heath finished chewing his bite of donut. He licked a bit of jelly from his fingers. "Yes. April said Stephanie shouldn't be a problem, she has a date for the dance with the President of the Greek Council. She won't mess with that, makes her too much in the spotlight," he laughed as he spoke. College dating dramas were always amusing.

Chris laughed loudly. It caused the smoke he'd inhaled from his cigarette, billow from his mouth like a cloud. "Nooo she won't dare mess with that. The President of the Greek Council is Brock Lesnar. He's President Heyman's step-son. Too much power in that match. Lawthor Hall will be all ours, free and clear!" Chris' blue eyes glowed with the excitement he spoke.

Things were looking good for the investigation of Lawthor Hall. Would they be able to help the frightened girls, or would they always be haunted?

Adam and the College Hill Ghost Hunters were ready for the Ghost of Lawthor Hall.


	3. Lawthor Hall

The College Hill Ghost Hunters sat on the front porch of the house at 6152 Olive Street. They were waiting to leave for their investigation of Lawthor Hall.

Adam pulled out his pocket watch and looked at it. He glanced at Chris, Wade and Mark. "Okay, group two, move out," he laughed and gave a military style salute. After all he was leading a military style mission. Without a word, the three ghost hunters stood. They slung their backpacks over their shoulders and started walking toward the campus, one block to the west.

Heath and Jason had already left, fifteen minutes ago. They had thought it would draw less attention if they walked to Lawthor Hall. Roman also decided it would be better to go in groups of two or three.

April and Natalie, along with the dorm mother would let each group in and take them to the dorm mother's living quarters on the first floor.

Mrs. Iola Adams had been the dorm mother at Lawthor Hall for the last twenty years. When her husband died, Iola needed to fill her life. She applied for the job and never looked back. She too had an encounter with the ghost, many in fact. Iola was anxious to bring peace to the lost soul that haunted Lawthor Hall. She'd agreed to help Adam and his crew in any way she could.

Hunter and Shawn had been the next couple to leave for the investigation. They walked, hand in hand toward Lawthor Hall. Their path took them past a memorial rose garden. It was truly a beautiful evening.

Shawn took a deep breath and smiled. "Lovely night for a stroll across the campus. It also means a good night for the dance. Remember Hunt? Our dance under the stars?" he looked at his husband with love and adoration.

Hunter smiled. "I remember, Sexy Boy. You dressed in those tight, white leather pants, zebra print jacket and white boots. You had those earrings that dangled down to your shoulders. You were so beautiful dancing in the moonlight. I knew then I had to marry you. I love you, Shawnnie," he stopped walking and pulled his husband in and kissed him tenderly.

When the kiss broke, Shawn's eyes glistened in the moonlight. "I knew that night, too. I love you, Hunt..." he paused and chuckled softly as they resumed their stroll. "I wonder what my congregation would think of me being a sexy boy toy back then?" Shawn and Hunter laughed together and kept walking.

Fifteen minutes after Dean and Seth had left, Roman and Adam left for their walk to Lawthor Hall. They walked north first. They would go up a few blocks till they reached College Street, then they would turn west. College Street was where all the main stores were on College Hill.

They stopped and looked in the window of the largest store on the Hill, the NIU Bookstore. It was where every text book, workbook and study guide were rented or sold. The store also sold anything NIU could put a logo on. Tee and sweat shirts, pens, notebooks, teddy bears, coffee mugs, key chains, all the usual suspects. Adam stared at a huge, nearly life sized stuffed toy lion. Leo the Lion was the college mascot. The stuffed lion wore a sweater with purple and gold, the college colors. Adam wanted that lion.

"Viking, you know I love you and would buy you the moon if you wanted it but..." Roman's voice trailed off when Adam turned to look at him.

Adam smiled softly. "I know, Islander. I saw the price tag, five hundred dollars. That will buy a lot of equipment or rent for an office. Besides, he's too big. But, I can look, that's free," he went up on his toes and kissed Roman between the eyes. When he broke the kiss, he dipped his head, almost shyly.

Roman lifted Adam's bearded chin with his fingertips. "I know Viking. I hate having to deny you anything. Come on, we'd better go, everyone else should be there by now." He gave Adam another kiss and led him away from the store window.

It was nonsensical incidents like those the couple treasured most. They never knew when something unexpected would happen, so these times were locked away in their hearts. A moment to be remembered and cherished in times of stress.

The Reigns' arrived at Lawthor hall five minutes later. They had to keep their composure, Stephanie McMahon and Brock Lesnar had just come out of Lawthor Hall. The two couples met on the steps.

"Well, hello Doctor Reigns, Professor Reigns. Surprised to see you here," Stephanie spoke with a curious gleam in her eye.

"Nothing unusual, Miss McMahon. Mrs. Adams invited us to dinner. We educators socialize too, you know," Roman quipped his words casually and was careful not to make it a challenge.

Adam worried she would notice their backpacks. He quickly came up with an explanation. "Yes, and if you will excuse us, the ice cream in my pack is melting and the wine in Roman's is getting warm. Have a lovely time at the dance. Brock, you have excellent taste in flowers. That corsage really sets off your eyes, Miss Stephanie." he also hoped the flattery would help. He mentally thanked his grandmother for the idea she whispered to him about the flowers.

Stephanie blushed as Brock pulled her against him. "Thanks Prof. Say Doc, you coming to the game tomorrow? Need all the support we can get." He looked at Roman with hope. Tomorrow was a big, important football game, a win meant a bowl bid.

Roman gave the stocky young man a hearty slap on the shoulder. "Fifty yard line, fourth row," he bragged with a wink. Roman had won the tickets in a faculty lucky draw, otherwise and Adam would have missed the big game.

The two couples bid each other goodnight and went their separate ways. Adam looked up and laughed, Jason was in the window making silly faces at them. Sargent Reso had been watching the conversation with Brock and Stephanie.

April and Natalie let Roman and Adam in. They led the couple to Mrs. Adam's quarters. Jason immediately pounced with questions about the conversation on the front steps.

"... so grandmother gave me the thought. It's alright, they believed us. Thank you for helping us Mrs. Adams. Hopefully, after tonight, things will be better. I must ask, if we can arrange it, we'd like to take the piano back to Mandalay." Adam explained as he hugged Mrs. Adams in thanks.

"There is nothing in the records that say the piano has to remain here. It was donated simply to get rid of it for some renovations at Mandalay. It wasn't even a tax write off." Chris read from the notebook he'd pulled out of his shirt pocket.

Mrs. Adams rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "It should be alright. There are only two music majors in residence, one is a vocalist and the other a harpist. I've never seen either of them use the piano. If it will get rid of the ghost, make the arrangements. We're the only ones here now, the rest are at the dance. I'd say you have till about one in the morning before the first girls return." She had a bit of a nervous twitter to her voice.

Adam saw the older woman's fright. He placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "It will be okay, it is not an evil spirit. She is lonely, that's all. Hopefully, I can bring her enough peace, that she will go be with her family. Now, Pastor Shawn will stay here with you, Natalie and April. You will be safe, I promise. Shawn, you will stay?" Adam looked at the preacher, brow raised.

Shawn had taken his white silk stole from his bag. He uttered a prayer, kissed the center of the cloth and draped it over his shoulders like a scarf. "Of course. Hunter will come get me if needs be. Shall we pray?" he bowed his head and prayed the short prayer he always said. He prayed the lost and troubled souls would find peace in Heaven. Wade offered his prayer of protection as well.

Mark and Wade left to do their usual lone search. Jason and Dean went outside to warn them inside if Stephanie McMahon or anyone else returned to early. If they did, well, Mrs. Adams was hosting a nice faculty evening. She'd even put out a tea service in case.

Roman spoke to the three anxious women. "You may hear noises or voices, but it's perfectly normal. Please, do relax. Adam is the best. Okay men, lets get started." Roman took command of the investigation. He left the room and joined the others in the reception room where the piano sat.

Seth and Heath, with Chris' help had set up several pieces of equipment. First they put motion detectors around the room, and one next to the piano. They set four video cameras, two focused on the entire room from different angles and two focused on the piano.

Seth also set up a new audio recorder. He hoped to get a clearer sound to make it easier to debunk the "normal" noises in the atmosphere. He also used their usual digital voice recorders.

Hunter carried an EMF meter, and "gun" that constantly monitored the temperature of the room. He watched for cold spots. A cold spot often meant a spirit was present.

Roman had his FLIR camera armed and ready. He looked around at his team, his gaze fell last on his beautiful husband. He gave Adam a smile and a nod. It was time to start the investigation of Lawthor Hall.

Adam went to the piano. He reached out and laid his hand on the top. He hoped to use psychometry to pick up more of Gertrude Litchfield.

The piano was beautiful. It was an upright spinet, made of hard maple and it had a clear, natural finish. It had darkened in places where hands had often touched it, staining the wood with oils from the skin. The real ivory keys had naturally yellowed with age and use. The ebony wood of the black keys was worn where they were touched and played.

Even though it hadn't been played much over the last few years, Mrs. Adams had kept it clean and tuned. Often a piano student would learn the art of tuning from the Professor of Music. His department turned and repaired all the pianos on the campus, regardless of their use.

Roman noticed that the moment Adam's hand touched the piano, the rainbow aura appeared around his spouse. He'd never see it appear so quickly or so clearly before. It was exciting and he had a hard time keeping it to himself. It was best of Adam wasn't interrupted by telling what the FLIR camera picked up.

Adam's long fingers gently skimmed the glossy, dark wood of the instrument. A book of Chopin was on the music rack, open, ready to be played. Roman and the others bit their tongues. The pages of the book started to flutter, as if fingered by an unseen hand.

Adam, too noticed the page flutter. "Gertrude?" he asked in a whisper. When he did, the page of music turned, revealing a new piece of music. "Is that your favorite piece? Would you like to play it for me?" Adam asked. He made sure to leave enough time between questions for a response.

Roman noticed the aura had completely vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. This time he did speak up. "I think she's gone. When you touched the piano, the aura suddenly appeared, strong and bright. It vanished, now, just as suddenly," he explained to Adam and the others.

Adam nodded. "I know. She was here. Mark, is there anything else here? She seemed... afraid," he asked his brow highly arched.

Mark and Wade stepped to the center of the room. Wade lit a spicy mixture of bitter herbs. Mark uttered something under his breath. He never revealed his words and no one ever asked. Wade circled his lover with the acrid smoke and muttered his own words.

Seth, Heath, Chris and Hunter kept running their equipment. They were used to moments like this. Ghost hunting took an extreme amount of patience.

Wade made the smoke vanish. Mark turned to Adam. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. If she is afraid, it's not because of another spirit or demon." Mark gave the couple a smile. He knew they were right, but why was the spirit so frightened? He reached over and lightly played a few notes on the piano. Maybe hearing her piano would encourage her.

"Adam, I'm not sure, but there could have been a flash on the stairs," Chris said with his camera focused on the staircase.

Adam went to the staircase. "Gertrude? Please, talk to me. Why are you afraid?" he spoke to the air, but his grandmother told him the lady was indeed on the stairs.

Seth held up his hand. "She..." he paused to listen more intently, his eyes were tightly shut in concentration. "She's afraid of... mis... mistake?" he repeated the faint words his device had picked up.

"I understand!" Heath almost squealed when he realized what the spirit lady was trying to say.

Everyone turned to look at Heath. "I think she means, she wanted to play, but when she made a mistake, her teacher or someone must have punished her. She just wanted to play music because she loved it, perfect or not..." he was stopped by Seth's hand on his shoulder.

Seth nodded almost violently. Roman the aura began to grow around Adam once again. It expanded and began to take on the shape of a figure. His heart raced with so much excitement he had a hard time holding the FLIR camera steady.

Seth began to mutter. "Hurt... hands... love... music..." he relayed the words he managed to discern.

Adam extended his hand, as if to place it on someone's shoulder. "I'm most sorry you were hurt. That wasn't nice. I'm sure you played beautiful music. Gertrude, would you like to have your piano back at Mandalay?" he spoke softly and gently. Sometimes a spirit never talked to him, but the equipment would pick up their voice. Apparently this was that type of case.

Seth adjusted a knob on the device in his hand, then he did the same with a slider on his headset. Everyone in the room stood without moving or making a sound.

Roman was still got fantastic results with the thermal imaging camera. For a fleeting moment, he thought it was too bad his lab students wouldn't be able to see the footage he was taping.

Seth translated again. "Piano... home... Man... yes... be... happy... how... see... me..." he tried to make a few more adjustments, the voice was extremely faint and there was a lot of interference.

Adam could get the gist of Gertrude's words. "Yes. We can bring the piano back to Mandalay. I'm... able to talk to people like you, on the other side. Those things in their hands help us to see and hear you. They won't harm you, I promise." He kept his arm extended. He simply knew his hand was on her shoulder.

"Nice... man... pretty... like..." Seth again translated. The words were getting harder and harder to hear.

Roman noticed the aura was also fading. The lady like shape had vanished and only a faint trace remained around Adam.

Adam lowered his hand. "She is gone. Grandmother said she went back to Mandalay. I'm not sure if she will return or not. I know once the piano is at Mandalay, she will stay there. We should probably take her portrait as well. Chris?" Adam came down the stairs, and looked at the Doctor of History.

Before Jericho could answer, Jason's voice was heard over Heath's walkie talkie. _"Break it up. A whole group is returning at once. They are a couple of blocks away, and Stephanie McMahon is with them."_ His voice wasn't in a panic, but it was filled with concern.

"Break it. Hurry!" Roman and Adam both spoke at the same time. Like well rehearsed machines the group broke down and rapidly packed up their equipment.

It wasn't the first time they'd packed up in a hurry. One good thing, they hadn't set up as much equipment as usual. On rare occasions, they broke the law to trespass. The College Hill Ghost Hunters had learned how to pack up and get out before Jason got into trouble. They did what they had to do.

By the time the group of girls arrived back at Lawthor Hall, the ghost hunters were casually laughing and chatting with Mrs. Adams. Natalie got up and went to the desk to check the group of girls in for the night.

Stephanie McMahon had been suspicious ever since she'd met Doctor and Professor Reigns on the steps of Lawthor Hall earlier that evening. She knew they were ghost hunters, and she sensed a scoop for "The Lion". After Natalie checked the girls in, only Stephanie remained. She signed her name with a flourish. She heard the chatter and laughter from Mrs. Adams apartment.

"Sounds like quite a party. Say, why aren't you, April, T.J. and Phil at the dance?" the cub reporter asked curiously as she sharply eyed Natalie.

Natalie did her best to sound casual. "T. J. and Phil had a gig over in Waterloo. No fun going to a dance alone, and since their gig was for a bachelor party, we weren't invited. Mrs. Adams was kind enough to invite us to have tea after dinner." She hoped she sounded convincing, Stephanie wasn't stupid by any means.

Stephanie toyed with the chain that was attached to the pen of the dorm's sign in book. "Too bad. It was a great dance... until the Coach made all the guys on the team leave early. Said they needed a good nights sleep. Speaking of, did you hear the piano last night? Sounded like our ghost was at it again." She hoped to perhaps catch Natalie off guard; maybe there was something going on.

Natalie smiled. "Well, it is an important game. No, didn't hear a thing. Stephanie, I'd better get back, hate to be rude to Mrs. Adams and her guests. Good night." She spoke friendly but curtly to Stephanie. She left before the reporter could speak again.

Stephanie smirked. She went to the open door of Mrs. Adams' apartment. "Hello everyone. Sorry to interrupt but, um... I have an idea. May I come in?" her voice was sickeningly sweet.

Mrs. Adams looked at the gathered group. She was frantic on the inside, but calm in her appearance. "Of course you may. It's not a secret meeting. A cup of tea, dear?" she nodded to an empty chair, next to Adam.

Stephanie eagerly sat down and took the cup of tea Shawn had poured for her. She sipped the tea like a grand, elegant lady. "Doctor Reigns, I understand you and the Professor are also ghost hunters. Have you heard we have a ghost, right here in Lawthor Hall?" she asked in an innocent voice. She was even more sure something was up, Mrs. Adams looked worried.

Roman smiled. "I read your article about it. If there is a ghost here, I'm sure it's not harmful." He sipped his tea with a nod to the college reporter.

"I don't know. Some of the girls are scared. Say, I have an idea. Since you're here, how about doing some ghost hunting? I could do a real story for "The Lion". It would be extremely interesting." Stephanie asked in an enthusiastic tone of voice. Her look was smug.

Adam took over the conversation. "Sorry, Miss Stephanie, but we can't. We'd have to have permission from President Heyman and besides, we don't have our equipment." Adam cast a quick, apologetic glance at Shawn. He hated to tell a direct lie, but he had no choice. Shawn slyly gave Adam a wink, he understood.

Stephanie deflated. "Oh, I didn't realize he'd have to give permission. I wonder... maybe daddy could talk to him, I'll see. You'd do it, wouldn't you, if you got permission?" She became happy again, her daddy would take care of it.

Mrs. Adam decided to put pay to Stephanie McMahon. "It wouldn't matter, dear. I'm having the piano removed. That way it won't bother anyone anymore. Now, what do you think our chances are at the big game tomorrow, Doctor Helmsley?" Mrs. Adams had managed to end one conversation and began another.

Stephanie sipped her tea. She was bored by football. It was all Brock ever talked about and now Doctor Helmsley was prattling on about the game. She only put up with it from Brock, because he was a good catch. It was too bad Brock's relationship with his step-father wasn't better, or else he might have gotten permission for a ghost hunt. All Heyman cared about was Brock's football career, and of course, perfect grades.

April nudged Stephanie. "Come on, we have intruded long enough. Thank you for the lovely evening. Goodnight everyone." She stood, as did Natalie. Stephanie had no choice but to leave as well.

Stephanie said goodnight and left with April and Natalie. "Guess there won't be any more ghostly concerts. I won't be sorry to see that piano go." Natalie communicated as they went up the stairs.

Stephanie had another thought. "Say, can she just get rid of the piano like that? Wasn't it donated to the University?" They had arrived at the room April and Natalie shared.

April nodded. "She said she asked. I think it's past much more tuning and because the keys are real ivory it can't be sold. You know, Steph, if you... oh, never mind. Goodnight," April went into the room, Natalie on her heels and shut the door.

Stephanie went to her own private room. She knew what April was going to say. If only she'd be more tactful, she might have better luck getting the bigger story. Stephanie sighed and closed her own door. Nothing she could do about it now, but she'd think on it.

Adam and the others also prepared to leave. "Mrs. Adams you handled that perfectly. If we didn't have to go to the game tomorrow, we'd move the piano..." Adam was cut off by Mark.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it. We'll get the piano during the game. Afterward, we can take it Mandalay." He gave Adam a wink, as he spoke and laughed at the relieved look on Roman's face.

"Perfect. I do hope moving the piano will end this... haunting." Mrs. Adams spoke hopefully as she walked with the men to the main door.

Adam gave the motherly woman a warm hug. "It will, I'm sure. Let Mark have the painting of the lady as well. It will help keep her grounded to one place, with her piano. Thank you for everything."

They all hugged the dorm mother and thanked her. A final goodnight was bid and the ghost hunters left Lawthor Hall.

Jason and Dean were waiting just up the block. They sat on a bench and had talked, non-stop about the big game tomorrow. They smiled and stood when the others approached. Jason pulled Heath into his arms and kissed him. Dean and Seth did the same. The reunited group started walking towards Olive Street.

An hour later, they sat at the picnic table, eating a late meal at the Dog N' Suds. Because of the dance, the drive-in was busy with students feeding their dance exhausted bodies.

Roman leaned in to whisper to the group. "Um... isn't that Brock Lesnar? I wonder if Stephanie knows about that?" He nodded to a dark part of the drive-ins outdoor eating area.

The ghost hunters glanced in the direction Roman had indicated. They saw the star football player with his tongue down the throat of a raven haired young man. Their hands were in each others pants.

Shawn quickly turned his gaze away from the sight. "Oh dear... it won't be good if she does find out." The pastor whispered to the group.

Heath gave a gasp. He too leaned in to whisper. "That's Evan Bourne, Co-Captain of the cheerleaders." He covered his mouth with his hand to suppress a laugh.

No one noticed the dark look that briefly passed over Chris Jericho's eyes. Even though he and Bray were occasional fuck buddies, Chris had a secret crush on the little cheerleader. Chris had wanted to ask Evan out, but sadly, Evan was in his honors history class. It meant, as long as Evan was his student, they could not date. He only hoped Evan was happy.

"...right, Chris?"... um... Chris?" Adam gave the history teacher a gentle nudge. He'd been talking to Chris, but the man was lost in his thoughts.

Chris realized Adam had been speaking to him. "Oh, sorry. Zoned out for a minute. What was the question?"

Adam smiled. "It's okay. I was telling Dean about the portrait. How it is alright to move it with the piano. Isn't it?" He repeated the question.

Chris toyed with the cigarette lighter he held in his hand. "Yeah, neither item was used for a tax write off, nor were there any stipulations. I agree, I think the portrait belongs with the piano." He lit the cigarette that bounced in his lips as he spoke.

Dean laughed and bit into his usual, huge double bacon cheeseburger. He chewed the bite and swallowed. "So all us non college types get to move the piano tomorrow?" He asked with a swipe of napkin across his grease glossed lips.

Mark chuckled deeply. "Yes, sorry about that. We'll get our revenge later, when _they_ have to unload it."

The College Hill Ghost Hunters finished their repast and talked in quiet whispers about the investigation. Seth was excited that his new device had worked so well on its first time out in the field. They threw away the remains of the meal and headed for home.

Evan Bourne watched the group of men leave. Brock had gone to the restroom. It gave Evan a chance to catch his breath. He thought Doctor Jericho was so handsome. Evan was almost sorry he'd taken Chris' class, it meant they couldn't go out.

Evan had the feeling the Historian wanted to ask him out, as much as he wanted to be asked. Evan could hear the thoughts in the minds of others, sometimes to the point of insanity. His mother called it a gift, Evan called it a curse. He quickly put a smile on his lips, Brock was headed back his way. Evan didn't want to risk getting another beating, he had to be able to cheer tomorrow.

The Northern Iowa University Lions won there big game against Michigan College. The win meant the team and the University would get attention on national television on Thanksgiving Day. They would go to Miami, Florida and play in the Orange Bowl, one of the most prestigious of the "Bowl" games.

Roman, Adam, Chris and Hunter had attended the game. Hunter went because he enjoyed football, Chris because of his secret crush on Evan and The Reigns' because of the prize Roman won. The four men screamed and cheered themselves hoarse. Even Adam, who normally only cared about the hockey team had a good time.

While the game was being played, the rest of the College Hill Ghost Hunters removed the piano and portrait from Lawthor Hall. They had been pleasantly surprised to find it wasn't as labor intensive as they feared it would be.

Heath, Shawn and Seth carefully wrapped the piano in heavy, quilted moving blankets. Jason, Wade and Mark wrapped the portrait in the same way. Dean parked his truck in such a way that they could just roll the piano into the truck. They didn't even have to break sweat.

Mark, Wade and Shawn followed Dean, Seth, Jason and Heath to Lookout Park to wait for the others. Mark and Shawn sat on a bench, under the shade of a huge oak tree and watched the others play.

Jason, Heath and Wade pushed themselves as they spun the merry go round with their feet. Dean pushed Seth on the swings. It was childish, but they didn't care, it was a beautiful Indian Summers day, and they were kids at heart.

"Maybe we shouldn't tell them it was so easy to load the piano," Mark said with a laugh as he watched Wade play. Wade didn't often "let go" but when he did, Mark thought his smile was breathtaking.

Shawn chuckled. "No, we shouldn't. It's good to see Wade laugh. He doing better?" he asked in a low whisper.

Mark sighed. "Good nights, bad nights. He trusts me, that's a huge step. Rape is horrible, but he is getting better," he quickly swiped his face with his large hand.

Shawn gave his friend a gentle pat on the shoulder. No words needed to be said. Mark knew his friend supported and cared.

Last year, Wade's car had broken down on the side of an old, little used country road. He'd gone to do a preliminary investigation of an old farm house next to an abandoned cemetery that was reported to be haunted. A man wanted to buy the property, but not a ghost.

A truck with four, large, extremely drunk men pulled over to help Wade. Only they didn't help him. They immediately beat him down to near unconsciousness, they then dragged Wade into a cornfield and all four men raped him.

When Wade was over four hours late for the investigation meeting at the Fringe, Mark grew worried. Adam had suddenly stood up and said his grandmother told him Wade was in trouble and desperately needed help. Adam's grandmother, the spirit guide, led Adam and the others to where Wade lay in the cornfield.

It had been a long hard year for Wade and for Mark. However, with a lot of love, care and support, Wade was better. Mark was like a bear and made sure Wade always felt safe and protected.

Two weeks after Wade had been found in the cornfield, Jason and his team of fellow officers, arrested the four men. They were now in jail, sentenced for twenty five years. Mark intended to make sure they served every single day of their sentence.

When the sun began to set, Wade joined Mark and Shawn on the bench. Mark gently wrapped his arm around Wade's shoulder and held him close. Wade laid his head on Mark's shoulder, he was safe and loved.

Roman's black SUV drove up and parked. Before he even got out, Hunter was expounding to Shawn about the game. They walked over to Mandalay where Dean had parked his truck.

Adam walked up to the house and stepped in. "Gertrude, we are here, with the piano..." he paused and waited while Seth listened.

Seth had already prepared his new listening device. All he had to do was put on the headset and turn on the recorder. He'd followed Adam into the house.

It took Roman a few minutes but he soon joined Adam and Seth with his thermal imaging camera. He focused on Adam and smiled. The rainbow was very faint, but it was there. He gave Adam a light tap on the shoulder.

"Gertrude, please come talk to me. Can you tell me where to put the piano?" Adam asked the air. He closed his eyes. His grandmother was unable to help.

Mark and Wade unwrapped he portrait. Chris had shown them where to hang it. He'd found an old picture of Mandalay and the portrait had hung over the fireplace in a large open airy room. Chris and Wade held the large painting while Mark and Hunter prepared a nail to hang it on. They worked in near silence as not do disturb Adam's session.

Roman smiled, the aura grew stronger. Seth held up his hand. "You... came..." he did as he had at Lawthor Hall and repeated the faint words he heard.

Adam reached out with his hand. "Yes, Gertrude, we came, like I promised. Where do you want the piano?" he again asked the air. Roman watched as the colors around Adam grew brighter and stretched out, forming an outline of a small, female shape.

Seth turned to Adam. "There... in there..." he repeated the words. Roman could see the outline point toward the large room where Mark and Hunter had just finished hanging the portrait.

It was a bit harder to get the piano off the truck. The others were glad Roman and Hunter were there to help. Slowly and carefully Mark, Wade, Hunter, Jason and Roman moved the piano back to its original home.

Adam, Shawn and Heath removed the heavy quilts once the piano was in place. Jason carried in the matching piano bench and unwrapped it. When the work was done, the ghost hunters stood back and waited.

For a long time, nothing happened. "Lets just leave. We did as promised. She probably wants to be alone with her piano." Adam suggested softly. It had been his grandmother's idea. It was always best to heed her advice.

The ghost hunters left the Mandalay Mansion. They bid good bye to Dean and Seth, who took Chris to drop him off at home. Dean needed to back to the bar, it would be a busy night after the victory of The Lions. Adam, Roman and the rest walked the short path back to Lookout Park.

It was such a beautiful evening the couples decided to sit on some benches to look out over the valley below. The moonlight made the Cedar River glow like a silver snake as it flowed through the land below. Night hunting birds cried in the distance as they looked for prey.

Adam, Heath, Shawn and Wade were tightly snuggled in the arms of their mates. The coupled exchanged occasional soft kisses and loving caresses. It was beautiful and romantic.

Adam suddenly sat up. He cocked his head. "Listen" he whispered in an excited voice.

Heads turned and ears perked. They could hear the very faint sound of piano music. It came from the direction of the Mandalay Mansion. It was the music of Chopin. Adam knew that the residents of Lawthor Hall would be left alone. It was a good feeling to be able to help. After all, that's what his gift was all about.

Adam gave a soft sigh and smiled. He laid his head back on Roman's shoulder. They had done it, they had brought peace to a lost spirit.


	4. Analyzing the Data

Seth had been disappointed to have missed a chance to record the piano music the others had heard, the night they had taken the piano back to Mandalay. Dean took Seth to Lookout Park every evening for a week. Sometimes Adam and Roman went along, but they never heard a single note of music.

It was the week before the first semester tests at the college. Dean had closed the bar until after the week of tests. He felt the students should be studying, not out late, drinking, so during test weeks, he closed the Lunatic Fringe. He could also take the time to do a good cleaning and maintenance to keep his beloved business in prime condition.

The time spent away from the bar was transferred to the basement of 6125 Olive Street. Seth could work on new ideas for equipment or analyze collected data in depth.

Roman and Chris lived in their campus offices, or it least it felt like it. It made Adam feel bad, he only had one class to test and even as Roman's secretary, he couldn't help much.

It did give Adam a chance to help analyze their investigation data, and that didn't happen as often as Adam would like. He enjoyed most of the scientific research. He often caught a voice or sound that had been missed.

Seth had cued up the images from the FLIR camera. It was the footage from Lawthor Hall. Adam was listening to the audio recording from Seth's new invention.

"Oh wow," Seth exclaimed as he watched the sudden appearance of the aura around Adam. He gently tapped Adam on the shoulder, the boss had to see this.

Adam removed his headset. "Look at this, boss. I've never see it like this." Seth turned a knob and pointed at the monitor.

Adam watched as Seth played the video. "Wait, start over, when I say go." He picked up his headset and slipped it on over his ears. He pushed a few buttons. "Okay, go." Both men hit their play buttons at the same time. Seth had plugged his headset into his device. He wanted to know what had Adam so curious.

It was fascinating to watch how the auras grew to match the spoken words. It was the first time Adam's aura had been filmed while in communication with a spirit.

Dean had been working on some shelves Seth had wanted for his tools. He heard the excited noises Seth and Adam were making. If he didn't know better, the two almost sounded like they were having the best sex of their lives.

Dean went to the more cave like part of the basement where Seth had set up his equipment. Seth and Adam were intent on watching and listening.

Seth turned to Dean. "Grab your headset, and hang on!" he was excited as he handed Dean his headset. Dean placed the headset over his ears and waited for Seth to restart the audio and video of the Lawthor Hall investigation. After hearing it twice, Dean knew why Adam and Seth had been so excited.

Seth finally shut down the machines. "The others have to see this. Let me work on it. I'll put the video and audio together on the computer, clean it up a little. Can we meet here later?" Seth asked Adam in an excited tone.

Adam nodded vigorously. "Yeah, absolutely. I'll send a text. I hope Islander and Historian can come. I'll cook dinner, that will help. Make a big pot of spaghetti. Thanks, Seth. You are the best." He planted a big, wet kiss on Seth's cheek. Adam then ran upstairs to text the gang and go grocery shopping.

Adam had ridden his bicycle the two miles to the College Square Shopping Center. He liked the Hy-Vee grocery store there. It always had great things at the in store bakery and the Iowa grown produce was farm fresh and cheap.

Adam was about to grab a loaf of French bread to make into garlic bread for their supper. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He smiled, it was a message from Roman.

 _"Hey, Viking. Will be there! Love your spaghetti! Your ass isn't bad either! Chris coming too. See you at six-thirty. I love you, baby, Ro."_

Adam grabbed four loaves of French bread, and put them in his cloth shopping bag. At the bakery counter, he chose several different kinds of pastries to have with coffee later.

While shopping, Adam got messages from all the ghost hunters. Heath said to use their kitchen and he'd be there to help cook. Jason would just tell the dispatcher he was out for supper. Adam couldn't wait for everyone to see their discovery, especially Roman.

When Heath arrived home, he had to laugh at the state of his kitchen, otherwise he'd cry. Adam could cook but... well... messy wasn't a harsh enough word. There were splatters of fresh cut tomatoes on the wall by the sink, and pieces of broken pasta littered the floor.

Heath wasn't quite sure if the red stains on Adam's apron were red sauce or blood but knowing Adam, it was probably both. Adam stood at the stove and yelped when a bubble of sauce burst and splattered on his hand.

"Adam, the gas is too high, turn it to low," Heath said with a shake of his head. He hung his keys on the rack next to the door and put his backpack in the corner, away from danger.

Adam flashed Heath a sheepish grin. "Sorry, Heath. You know I'll clean it up." He turned the stove down and checked the bread in the oven.

Heath laughed and started sweeping up bits of pasta. "Mom Carol did manage to teach you how to cook, but you sure failed neatness. Speaking of, have you heard from your mom or mom Carol lately?" Heath asked with a big sweep of the broom. If the truth were told, Heath was an even sloppier cook than Adam.

Adam fumbled in his back jeans pocket and pulled out a post card. On the front of the card was a picture of the Great Wall of China. "Here, it came today. I'm sure you'll get one too. I think it's wonderful they took this trip." Adam smiled brightly and handed Heath the post card.

"Me too... Adam, you didn't... you know... um... help them?" Heath asked as he glanced at the card. He used a magnet and stuck it to the message board on the kitchen wall, then began to push the broom again.

Adam shook his head. "No I didn't. One thing spirits won't do, is pick lottery numbers, winning horses or anything like that. Mom and Carol won that trip honestly," he spoke firmly and tossed some spices into the rich, red spaghetti sauce he stirred.

Two months ago, on a wild whim, Judy and Carol each put in five dollars and bought a lottery ticket. Each woman picked three numbers, then rolled dice to determine the lucky seven number. Their ticked had five correct numbers plus the lucky number.

They had won the second grand prize. A six month, around the world cruise, first class, all expenses paid. All they needed was spending money for souvenirs. Judy and Carol cashed in some savings, packed their bags, kissed their boys and left.

Adam and Jason were happy for their mothers to go and no one deserved it more. Both Judy and Carol had worked hard, sometimes two jobs at a time to provide for their sons. Winning a trip like the one they had won was a once in a life time adventure.

So far they had been to Hawaii, Japan and China. Australia, India, Africa and Europe would also be visited. They had sailed from Los Angles and would dock in Miami, Florida in the spring. Roman, Adam, Jason and Heath were getting a vast collection of post cards and the occasional box of souvenirs.

By the time the sauce was ready, Heath had his cluttered but clean kitchen back. He had to hand it to Adam, he made a mess, but always did his fair share of cleaning up. Heath knew it was worth it, Adam's spaghetti and meat sauce was delicious.

Adam had been pleasantly surprised when Bray Wyatt arrived with Roman and Chris. Twelve men were all seated around the table, and they all said "Amen" after Shawn finished his blessing.

"Sorry to have dropped in uninvited, but when I heard Adam and spaghetti... well, here I am." Bray said with a laughing wink and heaped his plate with the delicious food.

Adam's cheeks flushed a bit. "You know you never need an invitation, Bray. I'm glad you could be here, we've got something spectacular to show you after dinner," he spoke in a mysterious, cryptic tone, but Adam's hazel eyes glowed with excitement.

Bray swallowed his bite of food. "Can't wait. Adam, have you ever met an intuitive?"

"No, why? Do you think you've found one, I mean a real one? They are even more rare than... well people like me." Adam asked with a raised brow.

Chris chewed then swallowed his bite of bread. "I don't mean to sound stupid, but what is an intuitive? Isn't it a person who can tell when something is going to happen? Doesn't Adam do that?" The Historian was confused. Chris had learned a lot about parapsychology over the years working with the team, but not everything.

The rest of the group listened intently, a possible intuitive was interesting. Bray sipped his wine. "Yes, Adam, I do think he's real. How to explain it, Chris. Adam is a psychic medium, and he can do psychometry, you understand that. Adam has a guide, his grandmother. An intuitive doesn't have a guide and doesn't communicate with spirits. They just know things, like a hunch, but... deeper..." he paused to eat another bite.

Bray swallowed and went on. "Some people can occasionally guess things like, who's calling before they answer the phone or knowing what is in a gift box, but still, they are just guessing and get lucky. An intuitive _always_ knows, never guesses and is _always_ right. There could be just an aspect to the gift, like... oh say... telling who's on the phone or they might know where a missing item is. I think the one I met today is rare... knows everything before it happens, knows the thoughts of everyone he comes close to. If he can't learn to master and control it soon, he will be in Independence." he spoke in a serious tone, and his face was like granite.

Shawn tisked. "Independence, the mental hospital? Such a sad place. Can you help him?" he looked hopefully at Bray. He hated to think of anyone in that place. He sometimes went there as his duty as a preacher. It took him days to get over it.

Wyatt nodded. "Yeah, I hope so. I gave him some mental exercises, remember Adam?" He paused and looked at Adam. He'd started with Adam when he was almost eleven. Bray worried that it was possibly too late for the new boy.

Adam nodded as Bray continued. "How he has gotten to college and not lost his... well it gives me some hope the kid has a natural ability to block. He needs to learn to control it. Semester break starts after tests. Roman, Adam would you be willing to spend the break helping? I'd really appreciate it." He looked from Roman to Adam with a pleading glance. He needed them, the new kid needed them; desperately.

Roman looked at Adam. "It's up to you, Viking." He tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

Adam rubbed his bearded chin. He looked from Roman to Bray. "We will help. I owe it to you, Bray. You saved my life. How can I refuse to help another empath in trouble." he too hid his disappointment.

"But your trip to West Bend! The Grotto! Your second honeymoon!" Heath blurted out before he could stop himself. He slapped his hand over his mouth and sank like a stone down into his chair.

Adam gave Heath an exasperated glare, then he smiled. He knew Heath felt bad for opening his mouth. Adam reached over and with a wink ruffled Heath's red hair.

Bray sighed. "Didn't know you had planned a trip over the break. Look, I can manage. I'm sure you two need a vacation, it _has_ been a while hasn't it. Go and have a great time. I mean it, it will be alright." He spoke honestly and smiled at the young couple.

Adam shook his head. "No, Bray. I couldn't enjoy myself, knowing a young man needs our help. I'm sure Roman feels the same. You can count on us... _all_ of us to help," he laid a hand on Roman's thigh under the table. He knew Roman would support him.

Roman chewed his bite of spaghetti. "Absolutely. I know what you did for Adam. If it hadn't been for you.. well... _none_ of us would be here. Just tell us what you need us to do." The Islander spoke firmly and with utter conviction. Besides, Bray was his boss, and he too owed him the loyalty.

Bray noticed every man at the table was ready to jump in and support whatever decision Adam made. It made Bray happy to see Adam so well respected. It didn't happen often in their field of study.

"Thank you, Adam and you too, Roman. I'm sure you all can help, but later. Right now, I promised the boy I would keep it private. You can imagine, he isn't eager to share his gift... yet." he scooped up another bite and smiled.

The talk at the table turned general as the twelve men devoured Adam's spaghetti. Even Shawn ate three huge platefuls. There was a spontaneous arm wrestling match for the last meatball.

It was down to Hunter and Roman. Sweat broke out on their brows as they strained. Muscles flexed and both men grunted. After a final push, Roman slammed Hunter's arm down in victory. The crowd cheered the two men on a well fought battle.

Roman lifted the lid off the pot of sauce and meatballs. His eyes went wide, his mouth fell open. "Hey! It's gone!"

"Yeah, and it was delicious! That will teach you, if you want something take it! See the meatball, take the meatball!" Dean smirked and wiped his face with his napkin. He leaned back in his chair and burped; loudly.

At first everyone was so shocked they didn't know what to say, not even Seth. They looked at each other, then burst out in raucous laughter. It was easy to laugh among good friends.

Because of "The Meatball Incident" as it later became known, Dean volunteered to clean up while the others had coffee and dessert on the front porch.

Finally it was time for the reason for their meeting. Seth herded everyone down to the basement. They took seats on folding chairs around a large, flat screen computer monitor.

Seth stood in front of the group. "This is from Lawthor Hall... well... just watch and listen." He stood back and pushed the remote control in his hand. Seth stood, his arms crossed over his chest, a look of pride on his face.

Everyone leaned forward in their seats as they watched the spectacular footage Seth had combined with the audio. On the screen, a rainbow aura formed around Adam and stretched as he reached out his hand. The colors pulsated as Adam spoke to the spirit. Seth's lips moved on the screen, but the sound they heard was a faint, female voice.

Seth had replaced the "live" audio of his voice with that of the spirit of Gertrude Litchfield. It was amazing, but when she "spoke" the rainbow aura burst and pulsated like fireworks. Sometimes the whole room at Lawthor Hall was lit like daylight.

When Adam told the spirit he could take the piano back to Mandalay, the rainbow was the brightest ever caught on film by Roman. The group of ghost hunters "oohed" and "awed" like children watching fireworks on the Forth of July.

Seth turned up the volume a bit. Adam was explaining to the spirit that no one would harm her. The faint spirit voice of Gertrude replied with _"Nice... man... pretty... like..."_ Just a moment before she said the word "pretty" the rainbow aura that surrounded both Adam and the spirit appeared to burst like shattering glass.

It was like watching a billion pixels exploding. The flash on the screen was so bright, everyone leaned back, and they had to blink, like when the flash of a camera temporarily blinded the eyes. It was no less than a rainbow fireball.

On the screen, when Adam implied the spirit was gone, there was no colorful rainbow, not even a slight glimmer remained. It left the group speechless, even Adam, and he had seen the footage earlier with Seth.

Bray slapped his leg. The noise was so loud and sudden it startled the well seasoned ghost hunters. "What a fantastic capture! This more than proves Etherics and Theosophy! Roman, you must, absolutely must present this! You will make history! And Adam, there is no doubt about it now, you are a Deva, and the third-eye theory is real! This is what we have been waiting for!" Bray Wyatt was so beside himself he was almost two people.

Wade and Mark had some idea of what Bray was saying. However, the rest of the group, aside from Roman and Adam, had no idea what was happening. They looked from Wyatt to the Reigns'.

Roman, as the Doctor and teacher of Parapsychology, understood his bosses excitement. However, there was a problem. Well, someone had to say it. "Bray, you don't understand. We can't use this footage..." he was interrupted immediately by Bray.

"What the hell are you talking about? This is... why? Why can't you use it?" Bray had gone from excited to frustrated, hovering on anger.

Adam laid a hand on Bray's shoulder. "It was taken in Lawthor Hall. We had to lie to get it, and not get caught by Stephanie McMahon. You know what President Heyman would do if this got out?" he looked at his mentor with concern. Bray could sometimes be unreasonable about things.

Bray cursed under his breath, then out loud. "Damn him, just fucking damn him! What if we talk to him? Show him. My god, Adam this proves all that Madame Blavatsky, Leadbeater and Besant spent their lives trying to prove. We owe it to them! The entire Aydar School of Theosophy! It's proof!" he finished with a groan of frustration and buried his heavily bearded face in his hands.

Shawn spoke up. I tried to go to Paul, but he wouldn't even discuss it. The whole Paranormal Department could be in serious trouble if it gets out and Paul hears about it. We only took the risk to help Mrs. Adams and the frightened young ladies that live in Lawthor Hall. I know this is important, especially for Adam, but Bray..." he let his words fade. There was nothing more he could say.

It was heartbreaking for Bray Wyatt. "I've waited all my life... and others before us..." Bray's words were muffled, his head was still in his hands.

Dean watched Seth as he shut down the computer. It wasn't only the Academics who were disappointed. He could see the hurt and frustration on Seth's face too. He got up and went to his lover.

Dean tucked a few strands of Seth's blond and black hair behind his ear. "Man bun is loose. I know it's hard on you too, Seth. I wish I could do something. Want me to find another meatball and steal it?" he smiled softly and kissed the tip of Seth's nose.

Seth looked up at Dean through thick, lush lashes. "I'm more disappointed for them, but yeah. It's important to me too. It proves my inventions work." He tried to keep the hurt out of his voice, but failed; miserably.

Bray let out a mighty and and forlorn sigh. "Alright. Well, maybe someday. Seth you did a fantastic job. That new listening device was great. Adam, did you feel anything?" he tried to regain his focus.

Seth gave Bray a nod and with Dean's help continued to pack things away. Adam shrugged. "Not really. I knew when she had left. She wouldn't communicate with me or grandma. She obviously heard me, and she answered. I still don't know why, sometimes they talk directly to me, sometimes they don't." He leaned back in his chair and looked at Bray.

"I suppose somethings we will _never_ get the answers to. Well, Chris, Roman, We'd better get back to work. Thanks for supper. Say, I'll bring the new kid by after exams are over. I'll come up to your apartment. Poor kid, he's a mess. Thanks for... everything. Love you, kiddo." Bray gave Adam a warm, fatherly hug and a tousle to Adam's blond hair. Adam returned the hug. They went up the stairs.

After Bray had gone, Roman pulled Adam in for a deep kiss. "Sorry about West Bend, but you should help that kid. Don't wait up, Viking. I hate test time, I think we put in longer hours making up the tests than the students do in studying for them." He gave Adam another tongue tangling kiss.

Adam's arms were around Roman's neck. "No. I'm sorry about the trip. But, I owe Bray so much, as you well know. I love you, my Islander." Adam gave Roman a sloppy wet kiss in return.

Roman laughed and rubbed his we lips on Adam's shirt, then nipped his shoulder. "Love you, my Viking." This time the kiss was sweet and loving. Roman reluctantly broke the kiss, then ran to catch up with Bray and Chris.

Everyone else was still in the basement. They were talking about the exciting data they had watched. Adam thumped down the wooden stairs and ducked on the bottom landing. He sat down with a long, drawn out sigh.

Jason shook his head. "Uh oh. Thus begins the week of no sex. Everyone, arm yourselves, he's mean when he don't get!" He teased his friend and stuck his tongue out at Adam.

"He could use his palm pilot," Dean chimed in with a smirk. He yelped when Seth slapped him upside of the head.

Shawn put an arm around Adam's shoulders. "Now, you boys behave. Adam is a good lad." He gave Adam's back a friendly pat.

Mark smiled, for the first time, Wade chuckled along with the others during jokes about sex. It was another small step forward. Wade felt Mark's gaze, he gave his lover a dazzling smile.

Hunter rubbed his bearded chin. "Isn't there any way Roman could use the data? No one has to know exactly where we were," he turned the conversation serious again with his words.

Jason shook his head. "Even I would know it's Lawthor Hall. I mean the piano gives it away. Here we are, sitting on data that would blow the paranormal world apart and the Weasel is too worried about his reputation. It's fucking bullshit!" he stood so rapidly he knocked over his folding chair.

"William Jason Reso, language. However, I happen to agree with you. It is bullshit," Shawn said in a frustrated tone, arms crossed over his chest. He might be a preacher, but when riled, Shawn could be downright mean. He'd been in more than one fist fight in his life; and won.

"Michael Shawn Helmsley, language! Well, I have to get back on duty. One thing about test time, it's quiet on the Hill. Thanks for the great feed my brother from another mother. Mom would be proud. Saw the card, can you imagine, our mom's standing on the Great Wall of China?" He respectfully placed his CFPD police uniform baseball cap on his head and adjusted the fit.

"My handsome husband. You be careful out there, Daddy. I'll have breakfast ready for you, but I'll be gone before you get off duty. I'm doing the first shift at Deere. I'll be home at three." Heath paused, they had walked to the door of the basement that led up and out to the backyard and parking area for their house.

"Alright, Gingersnap. We'll go to Friar Tuck's for supper. Love you, Heath Reso," Jason whispered softly. He gave Heath a tender kiss.

Heath hugged Jason tightly. "Love you, Jason Reso." He returned Jason's kiss with one of his own.

In Jason's line of work, the couple never took anything for granted. Jason never went on duty without telling Heath he loved him, even if it was by phone. A policeman's life could end, in seconds, with a single gun shot. Heath didn't want to have to talk to Jason through Adam.

Heath went back and joined the rest of the group. Adam had shown them the post card from his mom. "... I think Australia is next. Ma said their bathroom on the ship is bigger than our first apartment here. Can you imagine?" he smiled happily. His dear ma deserved this prize.

Hunter shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, Adam. I'm thrilled for Judy and Carol, but, wouldn't it have been better to take the cash over the trip?"

Heath piped up. "They thought about it. They said the memory of the trip would stay with them forever. Money, while nice, would just be spent with no care. They were watching and old movie and got inspired. Mom Carol said 'Judy, we need to live! Live! Live!'. They left two weeks later," he explained with a laugh.

The eight ghost hunting friends had moved their conversation to the front porch. It was another beautiful night. Hunter and Shawn sat on one swing, Wade and Mark in the other. Dean sat on the top step, Seth sat one step lower between Dean's legs. Adam sat on the wide rail, his back against one of the columns. Heath mirrored Adam on the other rail. They were still talking about Judy and Carol.

The conversation came to a halt, when Stephanie McMahon and two other girls walked up the sidewalk that led from the street to the house. Stephanie stopped at the bottom of the six steps that led up to the porch. "Good evening, Professor Reigns," the college reporter smiled sweetly.

Adam hated being called Professor, but because he taught at NIU, students were required to use the title. "Good evening, Miss McMahon," he responded with a polite nod.

"This is Brie Bella, she's the editor of the female athletics section for "The Lion" and her twin sister, Nikki. Nikki edits the Greek Life section of "The Lion". Girls, this is Professor Reigns, Doctor Reigns' husband. He teaches Mystic Cultures and is the head of the ghost hunting group I told you about." Stephanie finished the introductions with the same plastic "smile".

Adam slid off the railing and stood at the top of the steps next to where Dean and Seth sat. "What brings you out so late? I'd have thought you'd be shut away studying." He asked, brow raised. Adam's arms were crossed over his chest.

Stephanie gave a girlish, tittering laugh. The Bella twins smiled. "Have to take a break sometime. I was hoping for a favor, Professor Reigns."

Adam frowned. "What kind of favor?" His brow was arched. His eyes burned with curiosity.

Stephanie put her left foot on the bottom step. "We'd like to go with you on your next ghost hunt. Do a story for 'The Lion'." She too crossed her arms over her own chest. Stephanie's brow was also arched, and a smug smirk curved on her lips.

Adam's eyes darted from man to man. He rubbed his chin. "We don't allow... civilians to join... investigations. I'm... our... the people we help... it's a very private thing. They wouldn't want it blasted in the media. I'm sure you can understand that." He had a hard time putting words to his reply. Adam wanted to be firm without offending Stephanie.

Stephanie frowned. "Oh, I see. I suppose I can understand. People wouldn't want to be seen as candidates for a room at Independence. I just thought, a good story, might help you and Doctor Reigns. Help the whole Parapsychology Department. I know how President Heyman feels about the Department." Her brow arched even higher and her look became more challenging.

Dean started to open his mouth, but Seth elbowed him in the ribs. He couldn't let Dean possibly say something that would start real trouble. Sometimes Dean had a mouth on him. Seth pulled on Adam's pant leg and looked up at their leader. He nodded toward the house, and looked at the other ghost hunters.

Adam got the hint. "Please excuse us, Miss McMahon. If you'd all like to have a seat, we'll be right back." He motioned to the porch swing Mark and Wade had abandoned. The others had gone into the house while Adam spoke to Stephanie.

With an 'I told you so' smirk on her face, Stephanie and the Bella twins took a seat on the porch swing. They watched as Adam went into the house.

Adam found everyone in Heath's kitchen, talking in extremely animated whispers. They all turned to Adam when they saw their boss enter the room. The conversation stopped when Seth spoke up.

Seth looked at Adam. "I know, I know, but I thought of something. Remember we said we wanted to go to the old Robinson Crusoe Island Park? Investigate the Indian Mounds and the spirit of that little boy? Why don't we take Miss Newspaper Reporter along? It's not a client case, and it wouldn't violate any confidentiality contract." He made his suggestion to the group.

"And, running around, in the dark, on an island, would probably cure any curiosity." Dean added. He had a very wicked smirk on his lips.

Adam looked at his crew. "I don't know..." he bit his lip and looked confused.

Hunter stepped up. "I think Seth is right. It would be a good investigation for a tag a long. She won't be satisfied unless we appease her. I'd agree to it, before she does something stupid." He spoke with wisdom. Shawn nodded in agreement.

"Well... I'd have to talk to Roman, but I suppose it would be alright. Also, because we are on the faculty, she'd have to let us approve anything she writes about us... Mark, Wade? What about you? I know you wanted to do some special rituals at the mounds... if we find them." He looked at the couple, brow raised in question.

"We can still do our thing, it's not secret. I'm for it, as long as she takes it seriously. I won't put up with giggling female teenage crap." Mark spoke firmly. His eyes showed his seriousness. Wade too, agreed with Mark..

"Alright. I'm sure Roman and Chris will go along with a majority decision. Don't worry, before I let her come with us, she _will_ take it seriously." Adam spoke with a firm nod. The group went to rejoin their guests on the porch.

Stephanie and the Bella twins stood when the group of men returned. The reporter looked at the ghost hunters with anxious eyes.

Adam stood in front of Stephanie, he towered over her. His expression was serious. "There _is_ an investigation we have on our schedule. I still need to consult my husband, but we have agreed you can join us. However, there will be rules for you to follow. We take our investigations seriously and we _will_ expect the same from you. If and _only_ if, you agree to our terms, you can join us." he spoke firmly. His hazel eyes sparkled, his face was set in stone.

"Thank you, Professor Reigns. We will agree to your terms. When?" Stephanie could hardly contain her excitement. She had won. Now she could find out for herself, was it real or bunkum.

Stephanie had vowed, if this was all... fake, she would blow the lid off Doctor Reigns and Doctor Wyatt's Department, and win over President Heyman. Brock would have to marry her then, that would make Vincent McMahon happy. And then... maybe her father would finally notice her.

The following morning, Adam and Roman were at their small kitchen table. A simple breakfast of toast and coffee had been devoured. Adam refilled his cup, then Roman's.

"... she's going to sign our confidentiality agreement, and, I'm going to request approval before she publishes anything. Same for whoever she brings with her. However, I can see the point of letting her go with us. The case is benign enough. Mark and Wade agreed?" Roman asked with a sip of coffee as he laid out the rules for letting Stephanie go with them. He'd been shocked that morning, when Adam had told him about the visit from the college reporter.

Adam nodded. "Yes, they did. Mark agreed. If she's going to be curious, better it be a clientless case. Absolutely she will sign, those twins too. Well, I'll set up the preliminary meeting then. Good way to end exam week, with a good investigation. Roman, thank you. I know you always want to protect me." He leaned over and gave his husband's cheek a kiss.

Roman caressed Adam's cheek. "Always, Viking. I know your gift is real, and I will protect you. Set it up. Let's just hope Miss McMahon isn't easily scared." He gave a bit of a laugh and winked at Adam.

An hour later, Adam was at his desk in Roman's office on the NIU campus. He took a deep breath and opened the drawer of his desk.

Adam flipped through a file folder marked, " _ **NIU PHONE BOOKS**_ ". The file contained several thin booklets. The booklets were campus phone books. Adam found the one he looked for and pulled it out from the file. It was entitled " **STUDENT DIRECTORY** ".

The directory was set up like a real phone book. Every student attending NIU was listed. It gave their name, residence and phone numbers. The directory was only issued to NIU faculty and staff. There were also directories for staff, faculty and Education Departments.

He found the number for Stephanie McMahon. With another sigh, Adam picked up the handset of the phone on his desk and punched in the reporter's number.

The fingers of Adam's free hand nervously tapped the desk. "Hello, Miss McMahon, this is Professor Adam Reigns. How would you like to go on an investigation next weekend with the College Hill Ghost Hunters?"


	5. The Island

_**A/N:** I am sorry this is a week late. As some of you may know, on Wed. Nov. 25th, my spouse, Chris lost her battle with not only breast cancer, but a liver collapse as well. As you can hopefully understand, publishing a chapter was the last thing on my mind. So many of you sent so many wonderful prayers and heartfelt messages, thank you for those. I am going to continue writing and publishing, it is the one thing that keeps my mind occupied, and off feeling sorry for myself. I hope you will continue to read and enjoy this story, I promise, there are things coming in future chapters that will have you on pins and needles, or at least I hope so. As I said at the start, this story **IS** different, and is meant to be told in a different way... so I hope you continue to give it a chance... it DOES pick up pace with each chapter, building into something that I hope will send chills down your spines. Again, thank you for your thoughts and prayers, I couldn't get through this without support, and all of you are part of that support. I wish each and every one of you a happy and blessed day. Also, remember, breast examinations can save your life, and if you are a chronic drinker, please stop, it **WILL** kill you in the end. Thank you, Susan, AKA Lady Dragonsblood._

The campus of Northern Iowa University was quiet. The week of first semester tests was over. The majority of the students had gone home for the week long, mid semester break. Those that stayed on campus were too busy celebrating to notice anything.

Dean and Seth had reopened The Lunatic Fringe. Roman's cousins, Jimmy and Jey Uso were running the bar. The Uso twins often took care of The Fringe when Dean and Seth were tied up with paranormal investigations.

Adam and the other members of the College Hill Ghost Hunters crew, were up in the private room over the bar. Only Jason was absent, he was on duty. There were also three other people in the room, Stephanie McMahon and the Bella twins.

Adam opened his briefcase and took out three packets of papers. He laid a packet in front of each college student. A serious expression marred Adam's handsome face. There was no trace of a smile on his firmly set lips. He was all business.

"Before we even begin this pre-investigation meeting, there is some business to attend to. You are not being singled out, everyone has to sign before any investigation." Adam explained as he sat down at the head of the table.

Nikki Bella curled her lip and looked at the packet of papers like they were covered with dirt. "I don't sign anything." Her voice was laced with sarcasm and the curl remained on her lip.

Adam shrugged. "Then you can leave. Thank you, for coming. Good evening." His tone was matter of fact. He blinked slowly as he looked at Nikki, like a snake considering whether to strike or not.

The twins started to get up, but a ferocious look from Stephanie stopped them. "What are they?" She asked with a nod to the packets of papers on the table.

Hunter responded. "Confidentiality waivers. Basically, the papers say you will follow our rules of conduct _and_ confidentiality. They are legal and binding. If you breech the contract, we _will_ take you to court. It is standard for all of us, and our potential clients. We all signed these same papers. If you have any questions, you can call our attorney, Esquire Jerry Lawler." His brow arched. A sly smirk crossed Hunter's lips, especially when Stephanie's eyes betrayed the fact that she was fully aware of who Jerry Lawler was.

Jerry "The King" Lawler was the toughest attorney in Black Hawk County. He was a friend of both Shawn and Hunter's. They had met at college and had been friends ever since. Jerry was called "The King", because he was king of the court room. In over thirty years of being a lawyer, he'd never once lost a case; never. Jerry did all the legal work for the College Hill Ghost Hunters.

At first Jerry took on the CHGH as a favor to the Helmsley's. He couldn't really take the ghost hunting seriously, but Jerry always helped his friends. When Jerry met Adam, he couldn't help but like the young man. Over time, Jerry still didn't believe in ghosts, but he _did_ believe in Adam. Jerry helped to keep the CHGH safe from slander and he did the paper work to establish the company as a non-profit agency.

Stephanie looked at the Bella twins. "Read and sign, _if_ you want to remain on the staff of "The Lion". Sorry, Professor Reigns, just give us a moment." She indicated to the papers. She gave her companions a hard glare. Friendship had nothing to do with it. When it came to "The Lion", Stephanie McMahon was all business; serious business.

"Also, before you read, there is a codicil. As members of the NIU faculty, Professor Reigns and I will need to read any articles you write, before you publish them. That is University policy, as you well know. Understood? This is not a game or social event, this is business." Roman used his stern teaching tone.

Stephanie nodded. "I know. Professor Huffman reads every article, if a staff or faculty member is mentioned, he sends them an approval notice. You will find, Doctor Reigns, I am just as serious about my job as you are.." She paused and took a deep breath.

McMahon continued. "I may have thought, at first to... I'm not sure what... the Parapsychology Department is a huge part of the University. Isn't it about time it was taken seriously?" She looked around the table and directly made eye contact with each member of the College Hill Ghost Hunters.

Adam gave a nod. "Yes, it is. I appreciate your candor, Miss McMahon. Now, please, take your time, read, then sign or not. Seth?" Adam looked at his friend with a nod.

"Ladies, if you'll follow me, please. I have coffee and pastries for you to enjoy. Just let me know when you've decided what you're going to do." Seth stood as he spoke and indicated to the door. Stephanie and the Bella's followed Seth down the hall to a small room. He left them and returned to the group of ghost hunters.

Thirty minutes later, the three girls had returned to the main meeting room. Stephanie, Nikki and Brie had signed the papers and were now a part of the team, at least for the upcoming investigation.

Seth had started to fill the girls in on some of the equipment the team used. "...well, you'll see more during the investigation. There are two things you must remember, one; shut up and two; stay out of camera shots. But, that goes for everyone not just you. Listening is vital, so if you must talk, whisper. Okay... like I said, you'll learn as you go. Adam?" Seth sat back down and began packing away the audio recorders he'd demonstrated with.

Adam nodded to Heath. "This is Heath Reso, he is our case manager. Jason Reso, his husband helps keep us safe. He's the Sargent of the College Hill Police Station. You will meet him tomorrow at the Island. Doctor Jericho, as you can probably imagine, is our historian. Chris and Heath know everything there is to know about our investigation locations. Mark Calaway is our Demonologist. He and Wade Barrett make sure any place we investigate is safe from demons or other negative entities. You know Seth, and what his job is. Dean Ambrose is a lead investigator and helps Jason keep us safe. Last but not least, Doctor and Reverend Helmsley. Hunter takes care of any medical issues that might come up and Pastor Shawn keeps us spiritually safe. Of course, everyone investigates." Adam took a sip of his iced tea after his lengthy speech of introduction.

Stephanie finished the note she had written and looked around the table. "One thing. What do you and Doctor Reigns do?" she held her pen poised to resume her note taking.

"You'll see what Adam does. My job is to record what happens around Adam as he communicates with a spirit. As Seth said, stay out of camera shots. We all learned as we went. It's the only way." Roman explained to the college students.

"Okay, lets get this meeting underway. Heath, Chris, go." Adam nodded to the two men. He sat back in his chair, cigarette in hand, to listen.

Chris opened a file folder. "We're going to investigate the old, abandoned Robinson Crusoe Island Park. Back in the fifties and sixties, the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, Leo Katoski, decided all new parks built should have a theme. One of the most popular parks created was Robinson Crusoe Park," he smiled and nodded to Heath. Heath worked hard to help, so Chris made sure he got to speak as well.

Heath flipped a few pages in his notebook. "The Island was known for it's theme based on Daniel Defoe's classic novel, Robinson Crusoe. There was a full sized replica of a pirate shipwreck. There was a wooden lookout tower, a small fort, tunnels through a sand hill, half buried treasure chests and other playground props. It was like walking into an abandoned pirates cove hideaway. It was the most popular park in Waterloo. Sadly though, like most things, interest was lost, the park began to fall into ruin." Heath sopped and indicated for Chris to continue.

Jericho picked up on the history. "In nineteen eighty-two, a young boy, we will call, Billy, disappeared while playing at the park. He was found eight days later, fifteen miles down stream of the Cedar River. He'd been drowned. A few years later, in ninety-three, a drug dealer was found, dead, in one of the old tunnels. It is said the park is cursed, because Indian burial mounds were disturbed when the park was built." Chris finished and closed his notebook.

Mark spoke next. "So, we want to try to find the mounds and bless them with an offering. We also hope to help Billy and the other one to move on. Hauntings have been reported by the public so we are doing this on our own to help the lost souls." His deep voice was slow, to emphasize the importance of their investigation.

Nikki Bella gave a shudder. "We have to walk around a dirty, abandoned park, at night? What about bugs or snakes!" She sounded truly horrified.

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Nikki, grow up. An investigative reporter doesn't care about that. If anything, you should at least know how to dress properly. Sorry about her, please, do go on. It sounds fascinating." She gave the group an apologetic smile.

Adam chuckled a bit. "Don't worry Miss Bella, you get used to it. Do wear thick clothing and heavy shoes or boots. We haven't lost anyone yet, but this is why we have one absolute and golden rule, never, and I mean never, go off alone, ever." his tone was deadly serious as he eyed the three girls.

Stephanie nodded. "Yes, Professor Reigns. Golden rule, never wander off alone. Can I bring my own camera?" She asked as she wrote down the golden rule.

Seth responded. "I'd rather you didn't. We use special cameras and a regular camera could interfere. If you are truly interested, you can use one of mine. Sometimes, having a new pair of eyes behind a lens is a good thing."

For the next hour the meeting continued. When the three girls left, they were ready. They would be at the Olive Street house at eight o'clock Friday night. Most of the ghost hunters believed that at least Stephanie took the investigation seriously. They had doubts about the Bella's, but time would tell. They had prepared the college reporters as best they could.

At nine o'clock on Friday evening, two black SUV's pulled up at the abandoned island park. What made the park an island was the two foot wide dry bed creek that ran through the area. The other side of the park was shoreline for the Cedar River. The dry creek could fill up during a rain storm, making it a true island.

The investigation team were all dressed in black, thick clothing and heavy boots. They looked more like Special Op troops than ghost hunters.

Seth had put together three smaller backpacks of equipment for the college students. He gave them each an audio recorder and an EMF meter. He also let Stephanie use of one of the older, full spectrum still shot cameras.

At the bridge that went over the dry creek, the group stopped. Shawn and Wade offered their prayers of protection. After the group "Amen", Adam set the teams.

"First of all, no more formalities, I'm just Adam. Brie you stay with Dean and Seth. Nikki, you stay with Jason and Heath. Chris with Wade and Mark. Stephanie, you'll come with Roman and myself. Once we set up the command center, Shawn and Hunter will take the first watch.

On an investigation like this, Seth set up a central listening post. Four remote cameras could be watched at once, and the audio monitored. It also served as a central meeting place.

It took an hour of set up, but now four static cameras were placed around the island. One on top of the old observation tower, one on the remains of the pirate ship, one at the tunnels and one where the Indian mounds were reportedly located. Also, Seth set up motion detectors close to the static cameras.

Shawn and Hunter sat at the table. It was a standard folding table from a big box store and easy to set up and pack away for transport. They were ready to monitor the investigation. Adam addressed the group.

"Mark, you and Wade... do your thing, then we'll get started." He nodded to the now fully robed couple.

"Um, Adam. What _is_ their thing?" Stephanie asked with a bit of an uneasy voice. She felt funny calling a Professor by his first name, Brock's step-father would be very mad if he heard it.

Adam picked up her nervousness. "Okay, how about just... Prof?" That more comfortable?" He gave the girl a soft, friendly smile.

Stephanie just stared at Adam. "How did... oh... you really are... aren't you?" She was stunned as she realized maybe, just maybe this wasn't bunkum.

"Well, anyway, Mark and Wade check for demons or other evil entities. Demons are entirely different and... dangerous things to deal with. Luckily, we don't run into them very often." Adam explained as he watched Roman gear up. His man was so damn handsome, dressed like a special ops soldier. He shifted his gaze, otherwise certain things would pop up and that would not be good in front of three young college girls.

"They're on screen" Shawn turned to the group and pointed to the computer monitor. The screen was divided into four small squares, each square was one of the static cameras that had been set up.

The twelve remaining members of the group gathered to watch Mark and Wade. Seth reached between Shawn and Hunter and fiddled with a few controls on the computer's keyboard, the volume grew louder so Mark and Wade could now be heard more clearly.

"You two can use the headsets later, but I want to hear this." Seth spoke in a quiet whisper and nod to the monitor.

Brie, Nikki and Stephanie all gasped when fire suddenly appeared in Wade's hand. The flames vanished into a thick cloud of billowing smoke. Mark's deep voice spoke unintelligible words in a form of ancient Latin.

Wade's voice joined in the chant as smoke continued to billow from his hands. The dual chant grew more intense and the smoke increased. The couple almost disappeared in the haze. Suddenly a face seemed to appear in the smoke.

"You _are_ recording aren't you?" Chris asked as he watched the screen, absolutely memorized. He'd seen the ritual many times, but never had he seen the smoke take on an image. Wade and Mark had asked Chris to stay behind, for his safety, just in case there was a demon involved. Adam had reassigned Chris to help monitor at the command center.

Brie Bella leaned in closer between the Helmsley's. "That... Nikki?... That's an Indian Chief..." she too was awestruck at what she was seeing. She and Nikki had several Native American ancestors in their family tree.

Adam leaned over Shawn's other shoulder. He reached out and touched the screen. Roman immediately trained his FLIR camera on Adam. The rainbow aura had appeared.

Adam stretched his mind as his eyes closed, his lips moved but no sounds came out. The group leaped into investigation mode. Chris gently pulled the three students out of the way.

Roman noticed the rainbow aura stretched and distorted. "Seth, flip it to IR, now," Roman whispered with excitement. Shawn quickly moved so Seth could sit at the keyboard.

Seth's long fingers danced over the computer's keyboard. The four images vanished. He then filled the screen with the camera image that was focused on Mark and Wade. His fingers did more dancing and the image changed. He'd switched the camera to record in Infrared mode, like Roman had on his FLIR.

The rainbow aura now appeared on the computer screen. It surrounded the cloud of smoke that Wade held in his hands. It was very faint, but it was there. The only sound was that of the ancient chant.

Adam shook his head. "Too far." He had tried to make contact with the smoky image, but he couldn't.

"It's alright, Viking. Don't tax yourself this early." Roman said with a smile. He was pleased with what he'd captured on his FLIR so far.

On the screen, there was another flash of fire from Wade's hands and the smoke vanished. Mark ended his chant and the area they were in returned to normal.

They saw Mark and Wade walk off camera. Seth worked his computer magic and the monitor was returned to normal, with the images of the four small screens. Seth got up so Shawn could resume his monitoring post.

"Jay, you take Heath and Nikki to the lookout tower. Dean, Seth and Brie to the tunnels. We will take the shipwreck. Chris, you can go back to the mound with Mark and Wade." Adam gave the first assignments as Mark and Wade returned.

Mark was uncharacteristically excited. "It's not a demon, but not exactly friendly. It's not evil, but the spirit is not happy. We're going to cleanse and bless. Chris with us?" Mark asked as he rummaged through a big, black plastic storage tub. The tub held the things Wade needed for his Wizardry. He pulled out a small, black nylon bag and handed it to Chris. Mark pulled out two more similar bags.

Hunter and Shawn waved as they watched their fellow ghost hunters head off in different directions to begin the investigation.

"Looks like we got lucky. Freshly mowed and fairly well tended." Adam noted as they followed an old dirt path that led to the pirate's shipwreck.

Stephanie worked hard to keep stride with Roman and Adam. "What was that rainbow that showed up around the Prof? Why did it show up where Mister Calaway and Mister Barrett were?" She asked in a breathy voice.

Adam stopped walking. "I can't answer that in a few simple words. Tell you what. Come to the house on Sunday, and we'll do a follow up. I can answer questions then. Now, I'm trying to communicate, so... shh," He spoke friendly but firmly. Adam didn't need a lot of female chattering in his ear.

The trio arrived at the old shipwreck. The wood of the ship was rotting and the mast pole had broken off at the half way point. The broken pole lay in the sand next to the ship. It its prime, it would have been a wonderful place to play. It was sad to see it so dilapidated.

"Wow, it's really... so... " Stephanie spoke in a normal voice. She stopped when Roman glared at her. Stephanie gave the educator an apologetic look.

Adam reached out and touched the wooden hull of the once grand pirate ship. Roman focused his camera on Adam. He gave Stephanie a nod and indicated to the camera she carried.

Stephanie began to shoot still pictures. Adam called out. "Billy... Billy... are you here?" he closed his eyes to listen. His grandmother told Adam she was looking, but the Native American influence over the area was too hard for her to penetrate.

Roman noticed the rainbow aura wasn't around Adam, but the heat from Adam's hand was abnormally intense. The red and orange colors that showed heat, spread out from Adam's touch.

"Billy? Come talk to me... please. We won't hurt you... come, play pirates with us..." Adam spoke in a light hearted voice. As he spoke, the heat bloom around his hand grew in both size and brightness.

Stephanie too noticed the heat in the digital picture she took. She was absolutely fascinated. Adam's gift was becoming more and more real to her.

Nikki cursed under her breath as she climbed up the old watch tower. Jason had gone first to check for safety. While old and abandoned, the tower had been very well built and would probably still be standing in a hundred years if left alone.

Heath followed Nikki up the ladder. Jason took Nikki's hand and helped her onto the platform, then did the same for his husband. The grand vista took in the entire island. They could just make out where Adam's group were down on the beach. They saw occasional bursts of light from the flash lights of the others as they moved to their locations.

Heath held a digital recorder. "Hello?... Are there any spirits with us?..." he called out to the air, and waited.

Jason turned in place as he scanned the area with an EMF detector. The detector would register any electromagnetic charges in the atmosphere. Sometimes a sudden surge of electricity would mean the presence of spirits. He picked up no abnormal readings.

Nikki did her part, if reluctantly. She held an instrument Seth had called a Mel Meter. It was set to read ambient temperatures of the area. Sudden drops or rises in temperature could also mean the presence of spirit activity. The Mel meter was pinpoint accurate.

Nikki turned in all four directions. "A steady sixty-eight degrees." She remembered in time to whisper. She wondered how she always let Steph get her in these situations. She'd much rather be out, with her boyfriend, John Cena.

Heath, Jason and Nikki continued to do their investigation as Dean led Seth and Brie to the tunnels. The tunnels had been laid out around a huge man made sand dune.

"This is where they found that drug dealer. Wish we had a name, but Chris said the cops never clearly identified him, there were three possible dealers that went missing around the same time. When they found our guy... well... guess there wasn't much left to identify." Dean spoke matter of fact. They heard stories like that all the time in their investigations.

Brie shone her light into one of the tunnels. The park's builders had created the dune, by first arranging pre-made cement pipes in a circle, surrounded by a square. The builders then covered the pipes with tons of sand. They planted desert grasses to stabilize the dune. The sand had shifted over the years and some of the pipes were exposed, but for the most part, the old dune was still intact.

Brie might have looked like Nikki, but personality wise, she was the exact opposite. She liked adventure and she found the paranormal interesting. She wished her boyfriend, Daniel Bryan could be here. Daniel absolutely believed in ghosts. He often swore his grandpa had visited him the night before he passed away.

Daniel had told Brie his grandpa had told him to be a good boy and would some day be a fine doctor. Daniel said, though he was only eight at the time, he knew he wanted to be a doctor. Daniel was now a med major at NIU. He and Brie planned to marry as soon as he graduated in two years.

Brie took the bull by the horns. She got down and crawled into the closest tunnel. Seth and Dean looked at each other in surprise, but followed the college student.

When Brie got about halfway through the tunnel, she stopped and sat cross-legged. "Now what?" She whispered softly to the two experienced ghost hunters.

"We call out, take pictures, record sound and wait." Seth explained as he opened his pack and took out his equipment. He and Dean had settled in to sit in the tunnel as well.

At the site of the Indian Burial Mound, Chris, Mark and Wade were preparing to do a cleansing and blessing.

"Chris, please dig out the salt and sage," Wade asked as he gathered a small amount of twigs and dry grasses to build a fire.

Chris opened the nylon pack and removed the requested items. "I would imagine this is a Black Hawk mound." He couldn't help but share he historical information.

Mark nodded. "Probably. Meskwaki mounds are built differently. Chris, sage yourself, you know the drill," he whispered.

Chris returned the nod. He took a bundle of sage from the pack and lit it with his Zippo cigarette lighter. Thick acrid smoke rose from the bundle. The historian moved the sage around his body. The smoke from the sage formed a barrier of protection from negative spirits.

Mark lit a bundle as well, but before protecting himself, he surrounded Wade with the herbal smoke. He added some words of ancient Latin for extra protection.

"Saint Michael the Archangel, defende nos in proelio: contranequiti am et insidias diaboli esto presidium..." Mark repeated the chant as he saged himself, then Chris, just in case.

Wade rubbed his hands together. At first a few small sparks glittered from his fingers as if striking a flint, but he wasn't. When he rubbed them again, flames burst from the fingers of his left hand and lit the small fire. With a wave of his right hand, his left returned to normal.

Wade added several bundles of sage to the fire. The smoke was rather pleasant. He threw a handful of white salt into the fire. The flames bellowed upward, then died down. Mark continued his chant and followed Wade as the Wizard walked around the mound, a constant flow of salt fell from his hand as he walked.

The smoke of the sage fire seemed to slowly take on a humanoid shape. Chris barely managed to remember the camera he held. He however, did remember as the shape grew sharper, he quickly began to film the smoke.

The smoke rose and grew. Arms seemed to open open up, indicating the heavens above. Wade continued the trail of sacred salt as Mark chanted.

When Wade came back around to the fire, and the image in the smoke, he stopped. He addressed the smoky image. "O Spirit, I pray you are now at peace. May you rest quietly in the arms of Mother Earth, Brother Wind, Sister Fire and Father of the Sky. We humbly and respectfully apologize for the disturbance of your sacred mound. Peace be with you, blessed be." Wade concluded his blessing with a deep bow of respect to the smoky figure. He threw a last handful of sacred salt into the fire.

The manlike figure vanished in a long, arrow straight plume. The three men took deep, shaky breaths.

Chris sank to the ground on his knees. He'd seen many things over the years with the CHGH, but nothing like this. He also felt awash with an incredible feeling of calm and peace. He once again remembered the camera and turned it off.

Wade and Mark sat down close to Chris. Wade was pale and exhausted. He rested his head on Mark's strong shoulder. "I've never... doesn't matter. They are at peace now. We'd better get back." Wade spoke in a tired sounding whisper.

"I hope we got that on film, I did try. I wonder if anyone else saw it." Chris remarked as he packed up his bag. Mark just shrugged, he wanted to get Wade back to base. They finished packing and after making sure the fire was completely out, left for the command base.

Back at the tunnel, the trio of ghost hunters had been calling out. They heard nothing with their ears, but Seth knew the real results would come later, during the analysis of the data.

They decided to pack up their equipment and return to the command post. Dean hoped the others had better luck. There hadn't even been so much as a temperature fluctuation. Well, more often than not, it was the way an investigation went.

Jason, Heath and Nikki looked at each other. They had seen strange smoke coming from the part of the park where Wade, Chris and Mark had gone to investigate.

"It looked like a Native American. How? Oh, it had to be fake! You're just making money off people who are gullible!" Nikki spoke sharply, no longer bothering to remember to whisper.

Jason looked as if he were ready to pop the socialite college student in the mouth. Heath placed a hand on his husband's shoulder.

"First of all, Miss Bella, we never, ever change anyone a dime to help them. People have offered to pay us, but we don't accept it. We don't accept gifts of any kind, not even a plate of cookies. Secondly, we don't fake anything. We go out of our way to debunk as much as possible. So, that way when something does happen, we have indisputable, scientific proof. Thirdly, Adam's gift is very real. Apparently, Stephanie thought you would take this seriously, as a journalist, guess she was wrong. Come on, it's time to join the others." Heath's words were sharp and firm. His eyes blazed with anger.

Jason didn't say a word, he was too upset. He gave Nikki Bella a deadly look and climbed down the ladder. Nikki silently followed, she couldn't wait to get home.

Adam, Roman and Stephanie were still hard at work. The heat from Adam's hand had spread even wider. "Billy... please Billy..." Adam called out to the spirit of the drowned child.

Adam's mental thoughts went to his grandmother. "Is he there?" he asked without speaking aloud.

Adam's grandmother replied. "Yes, he is here. Something has happened, the negative force is gone. I'll try to bring him forward. He is a bit frightened." The spirit guide whispered to Adam's mind.

Adam turned to Roman and Stephanie. "He's here, but very scared. Grandmother said something has happened, the negative force is gone. She's going to try to bring him forward," he explained without moving his hand.

The others had regrouped with Shawn and Hunter. They focused on Adam's section on the screen. Seth pushed a key and the volume increased.

They heard Adam's explanation from his grandmother. Chris spoke up. "Damn right something happened. I hope it showed up on camera. Shawn?" He looked anxiously at the preacher.

Shawn nodded. "Smoke, but there wasn't anything special about it..." he was cut off by Chris cursing under his breath.

"I hope my camera caught it. Anyway, Seth, Dean go help Adam, this _has_ to be properly documented." Chris took control. It wasn't usual, Chris had lead a couple of emergency investigations when Adam had been ill a few years ago.

Dean and Seth did as Chris asked. Without thinking, Brie followed after her teammates. Nikki gave her sister an exasperated look. She stomped off to wait in the car where it was warm.

Jason filled the group in on Nikki Bella's attitude. "... bitch. Hope she gets spooked." He finished with a mutter. Heath gently elbowed Jason in the ribs.

"Brie looks to be enjoying it. She went right into the tunnels and did everything she was asked to do, even started the calling out a few times." Hunter reported on what he and Shawn had observed.

"I'm taking Wade to our car, he's exhausted. Can't wait for the debriefing. I have my walkie, I'll come if needed." Mark spoke softly, his arms around Wade. Wade's head was on his shoulder and he looked rather pale.

Hunter jumped up and moved toward Wade. Wade stopped him. "I'm alright Doc, just tired. It was really draining." He hated being touched by doctors. He trusted Hunter, but it brought back the memories of the horrible exams he had to endure after the rape.

Hunter smiled softly. "I forgot. Eat something though, you need the sugar." He gave Wade a friendly nod, and sat back down. Wade and Mark then left to also go wait in a warm vehicle.

"He looks awful..." Shawn muttered in a worried tone as he watched the couple depart.

Chris gave a lighthearted scoff. "Just wait, you'll see why he's exhausted. It's almost, if not better than that stuff with Adam. Oh, look..." Chris pointed to the monitor. Dean, Seth and Brie had arrived at the shipwreck.

Roman held a finger to his lips as the three other investigators arrive. He showed them what his FLIR camera was picking up. The heat from Adam's hand now covered the entire side of the ship.

Seth quickly pressed "start" on his new audio recorder. He put small ear buds in his ears. He nodded to both Dean and Stephanie to begin their recordings, and for Brie to take her readings.

Dean fired up his full spectrum camera and Stephanie switched her camera to take regular pictures. She focused on Adam and began to snap away. Roman was impressed that the teenager jumped in and did her part, he was equally impressed with Brie.

Seth stopped what he was doing. He got down on his knees and dug into the depths of his extra large nylon pack. His fingers found what they searched for. He pulled a small, brown teddy bear out of the pack. Seth opened a zipper, his deft fingers quickly changed batteries. He zipped the bear back together. He turned on a switch located on the bottom of the bear. Without a word, he handed Adam the stuffed toy.

Adam grinned, he'd forgotten about the bear. He took the toy with his free hand and gave Seth a wink. He then turned his attention back to the matter at hand. "Billy... this bear... it sure needs a hug... come play with the bear, Billy." he waved the bear in the air, then set it down on the deck of the shipwreck.

Seth had created the bear to use for investigating child spirits, like Billy. The bear was loaded with detection devices. There was an EMF that would make the bears eyes light up if an energy field came close. The mouth contained a small recorder to pick up any possible EVPs and the bears left eye was really the lens of an IRF video camera. It was also equipped with a motion detector. If touched, the bear would "laugh" and happily "wave" it's arms.

Seth had seen bears in the store where they often bought equipment. He took elements from each different kind of detection bear and made one "super" detection bear. If it worked it would be great. So though it hadn't been used in the field, Seth hoped the first time out would be a success.

Adam pressed his hand harder against the ship. "Billy... come play with the bear... the pirates want him... better come help the poor little bear..." he always left enough time between his sentences to give the spirit a chance to speak.

Roman saw that when Adam pressed harder, the area under and around his hand grew white hot. It was a wonder the old, dry wood didn't burst into flames. Roman started a bit, the bear had begun to laugh and wave.

Seth was so excited he nearly peed his pants. Dean couldn't help but melt, just a bit, when he saw the beautiful grin break out on Seth's face.

Adam too felt a bit of a rush. "Hi Billy... yes... play with the bear..." he kept his voice calm and soft, but his body trembled with excitement.

Roman could tell Adam was excited. The heat signature of his hand also pulsated and Roman guessed it would match Adam's sped up heartbeat. Also the rainbow aura grew brighter and pulsated at the same tempo.

Hunter stood up and grabbed his medical bag. "I have to know. I'll be right back. Chris, watch over Shawn." He took of running to where the investigation was taking place.

Shawn gave a soft laugh. "I didn't know he could still run that fast. Wait... what the..." His attention was diverted. His eyes moved from the screen of the shipwreck to the screen where the tunnels were.

Chris sat in the chair Hunter had vacated and leaned in to look. A white wisp, that looked like fog emerged from one of the tunnels. It floated around the entrance to the tunnel. Just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished.

"That was interesting. I'm time stamping that." Shawn said in a whisper and wrote down the time shown on the computer. Chris too made the same note. They were always careful to double check each other.

Hunter stopped running and collected his breath before he reached the shipwreck. He hoped he wasn't too late. He saw on Roman's camera screen, that the aura was still pulsating. Hunter had seen the pulsation of Adam's hand heat signature. He wanted to know if it indeed matched Adam's heart rate.

Hunter held up his bag for Adam to see. Adam nodded. While Hunter applied a blood pressure cuff to Adam's free arm, the psychic medium continued to communicate with Billy.

The bear was still indicating contact. "You like the bear, Billy?... Talk to the bear... you can tell him all your secrets... do you miss your mommy?" The bears EMF detector went off again as the bear laughed and waved its arms again.

Adam reached out towards the bear. While his hand no longer touched the ship, a perfect, white hot hand print remained. However, the rainbow aura surrounded the bear. Roman held in a gasp as the rainbow extended and the outline of a small child appeared. The child seemed to be poking the belly of the teddy bear.

Adam glanced over at his husband. Roman gave him a smile and nod. "Billy... Billy" He looked again at Roman.

Roman could tell the boy had turned to look at Adam. "Take his hand" Roman barely whispered. He watched as Adam's hand extended towards the boy. The rainbow outline of the boy took Adam's hand.

Adam felt a rush of warmth move up his arm. He closed his eyes. He mentally spoke to the child. _"Hi Billy, my name is Adam."_ He knew he now had direct contact with the boy.

 _"I got drownded. I only wanted the pretty fishy for my fishy bowl. I falled down... I... I... dead. Mad Indian scare me... Want my mommy..."_ the boys words echoed in Adam's head.

Adam took a deep breath and resumed his mental conversation. _"I'm sorry... Do you see the pretty lady?... Go with her... she can take you to your mommy... She's an angel now, and she is waiting for you... The Indian isn't mad anymore... Will you go with the lady now?"_ Adam felt his grandmother step up.

 _"Pretty lady... I go... Billy happy... see mommy!"_ The spirit child laughed. Adam knew his grandmother had now taken Billy's other hand.

 _"His mother just passed. She has been looking for him. You did well my little, Addy. Don't worry, he will be alright. Thank you, Addy. Your mother is having a wonderful time, I'm watching over her and Carol. Love... you... Addy..."_ his grandmother's voice faded. The warmth slowly left his body. He knew his grandmother had taken Billy to be with his mother.

Adam slumped against the rail of the ship. He was drained. Roman turned his camera off, handed it to Dean and went to Adam. The investigation was complete.

Stephanie and Brie joined the others at Dog N' Suds. Nikki had just wanted to be dropped off at her dorm. The entire group were enjoying their delicious meal. Adam and Wade had both recovered, but were still mentally exhausted. Now Adam had a headache from Stephanie bombarding him with questions.

"... I don't mean to be rude, honey. But, I promise, on Sunday, I will answer all your questions. I am too exhausted right now, it is a very draining process. I am glad you are so enthusiastic though." Adam had finally had enough.

Stephanie blushed. "Sorry, Prof. It is the reporter in me. Strike while the iron is hot. I'll save it all for Sunday." She smiled at Adam.

The group finished up and went home. Tomorrow would be filled with hours of analyzing the data, then on Sunday present it to Stephanie.

That night, as Adam lay naked in Roman's arms, he was content. He'd managed, with the help of his team to bring peace to a ghost named Billy.


	6. A Busy Weekend

_**A/N:** I wanted to thank everyone for their good thoughts and wishes during the past days. This has been one of the hardest things I have ever had to go through. Some days I am fine, others I am a crying mess. Your thoughts and prayers have helped me so much. I will do my best to keep right on publishing this story, and I am well into writing the one that will follow this one, it is my therapy. Anyway, I just wanted to make a quick thank you for your support. I hope you enjoy the chapter. All the best for a wonderful day. Thank you, Susan (AKA LadyDragonsblood)._

Adam woke up on Saturday morning with the incredible urge to moan. He did moan, when he suddenly realized Roman's hot mouth was engulfing his cock. What a way to wake up.

Roman gave a deep chuckle. The sensation vibrated up Adam's shaft, crept up his spine and tingled over his scalp. It made Adam moan again. He arched his back and drove his cock deeper down Roman's throat.

The Islander opened his throat to take Adam in. He knew Adam's reactions like a well read, yet beloved book, so he'd been prepared. Roman's cheeks hollowed as he sucked the long, thick organ of flesh. His hands slid under Adam and massaged the perfect ass.

Adam tangled his fingers in the thick raven black hair of his beloved husband. He whimpered when Roman's tongue lapped the vein on the underside of his cock. Roman slowly worked his finger into Adam's tightly puckered hole.

"Oh god..." Adam finally managed to get some words out of his mouth, and tossed his head in pleasure.

Roman growled and pulled his mouth from Adam's cock. "That's right baby boy, I am your god. Your Island god," his voice was laced with huskiness.

The blond barely comprehended his husband's words, he was so lost in wonderful sensations. The large finger sliding in and out of his hole, the hot mouth that licked and sucked his cock, and the hand that had run up his torso to tease his nipples.

Roman himself was utterly lost in worshiping Adam's body. He loved how soft and smooth Adam's skin was, even though Adam's muscles were hard and defined. Also, Adam always smelled so good, sex mixed with the spicy sweat of sleep, it was intoxicating.

Adam's fingers pulled at Roman's hair. "Please, Islander, please... in me... get that cock of yours inside me. Fuck me, please just fuck me..." his voice was a near whine as he begged.

Roman's cock ached to obey Adam's wishes, but Roman wanted to tease his husband a bit more. His mouth once again slid down Adam's cock as he worked a second finger into Adam's hot hole.

Even thought his hazel eyes were closed, they rolled back, as a low moan left his throat and passed over his lips. His moans turned into begging whimpers. "Please, Roman... just fucking fuck me!" he gave his hips a sharp snap upward.

"Such a dirty mouth. Alright, a fucking you want, a fucking you will get..." Roman growled over the wet tip of Adam's cock.

Adam did indeed get the fucking he asked for. He gave just as much back, thrust for thrust. Roman rolled them over so he could watch his husband ride his cock. Adam pulled and tugged on his own cock with one hand and rubbed Roman's skin anywhere he could reach with the other.

Another flip and Roman hooked Adam's legs over his shoulders by the knees, he was able to thrust deeper that way. With a low, rumbling grunt, Roman filled Adam with his cum. Adam matched with a growl of his own, his lips pulled back in a teeth baring snarl. He gave his cock a final tug and came in long, ropy streams.

Adam's legs slid off Roman's sweaty shoulders and landed on the bed with a thump. Roman lay on his back and Adam curled against him like a magnet.

Adam did his favorite thing. He traced the intricate lines of the tribal tattoos that covered the right side of Roman's body. A full arm sleeve that went over his shoulder and covered his pectoral muscle. Adam had ink of his own. A red and black sun on his left bicep, a star on his right bicep with several smaller stars over two bandanna wearing skulls, with hearts and flowers. On his left forearm was a cross, and on his right forearm was a banner that read "Rise Above". He also had a Canadian maple leaf on his right foot. Each tattoo represented a different stage in his life.

"You should wake me up like that more often, Islander. I love you, so damn much, Roman. You're too good for me." He gave Roman's inked shoulder a nip, then kissed it.

Roman curled his fingers in Adam's long hair. "Mushy talk? You're in a mood, but I love it, and I love you. We're good for each other, keep each other grounded. Ghaa! What time is the analysis starting?" He'd rather spend the day in bed with Adam.

Adam gave a long, sated sigh. "Eleven, promised them pizza, remember? Oh can't we just stay here? Let them do the work? Plllleeeeaaassseee?" he whined in a childish voice.

Roman stretched his long, lean body, ending with a curl of his toes. "Well, you _are_ the boss, so to speak. But... um... you really want to give Jason more ammo to tease with? Besides, I love Tony's pizza." He gave the top of Adam's head a kiss.

After a bit more cuddling together, Roman and Adam got up, showered, groomed, dressed and ate a small breakfast. They went from their third floor apartment, down to the basement. Roman gave Adam a kiss, then opened the basement door.

The Reigns' found Seth already working to upload data, ready to be analyzed. "Hey, Seth. Where's Dean?" Adam asked as he pulled up a folding chair.

"Bar, taxes. He said if we call in the order at Tony's for eleven-thirty, he'll pick it up." Seth explained as he punched the keyboard of the computer in front of him. His glasses had slid halfway down his nose, giving him a rather academic look.

"He doesn't have to be here if he's got taxes to do. Come on, you guys give up too much already." Adam was upset. He hated that his friends gave up so much for ghost hunting, it wasn't fair.

Seth stopped what he was doing. He took off the thin wire framed glasses he wore for doing hours of close computer work. "Yes, Adam, we do this to help you, that is true. We also do it to help our clients. I love working out systems to try new things. We enjoy doing this, Adam. We're a good team. Dean has the taxes almost done, he's looking forward to being here. End of!" He spoke firmly with a grim nod.

Adam gave Seth a pat on the shoulders. "End of. Sometimes I forget how much you guys enjoy all this. Okay, what am I doing?" Adam asked as he put on his own glasses.

"I want you to do the video of Mark and Wade." Seth still punched keys. He always made sure a team not involved in part of an investigation, analyzed footage of others. It meant Roman never analyzed his own footage, or Jason never looked at his. Fresh ears and eyes were always best. There would then be the final analysis, where everyone watched and listened to everything.

Hunter had hospital duty and Shawn had a wedding to perform, they would join the group on Sunday afternoon.

Soon the unmistakable thud of Jason's footsteps was heard on the stairs. He carried a heavy basket of dirty laundry. Heath followed with another basket. They greeted the others. Heath went to the far corner where the washer and dryer stood. Saturday was the Reso's turn to use the machines. Adam had Mondays and Wade on Wednesday. It was a good system and it worked.

Chris came in through the door that led from the backyard. He pushed his sunglasses up onto the top of his head. He carried a cooler filled with ice and cans of soda. Hugs and greetings were exchanged all around.

Mark and Wade were the last to join the group. They each carried a tray of brownies with fudge icing. Wade was a brilliant baker. He occasionally worked at the small bakery on the Hill. Mouths watered when they saw the chocolate treats.

The first order of business was to call the pizza order into Tony's. Tony's Pizzeria was a College Hill tradition, as old as NIU itself. Tony made large amounts of food and kept his prices low for college students. You weren't a real NIU student until you'd had at least one slice of Tony's pizza. After Roman made the call, the team settled in and began the long process of going over all the audio and video they had collected the night before.

It was hard at times, but they kept their findings to themselves. The data had to remain "clean". Someone might hear a word, mention it, then everyone only heard that word, and it could be wrong. Everyone needed to draw their own conclusions, then they would compare notes.

At noon, Dean came through the outside door, with six huge pizza boxes. Heath put his laundry in the dryer, then washed a second load.

The group talked casually while they ate their lunch. "How did it go with the twins?" Adam asked with a bite of thick, rich, hot, cheesy supreme pizza.

Dean laughed. "Brie was fine. She went right into the tunnels, did everything we asked properly." He bit into his own slice of pepperoni pizza.

"Nikki was a bitch. Useless and she accused us of taking money for bunkum. Heath set her to rights." Jason spoke in a sarcastic tone. If he ever saw Nikki Bella again it would be too soon, he secretly wondered what kind of car she drove, maybe he could catch her speeding.

Chris cracked open a can of root beer. "You think Stephanie McMahon is taking us for a ride? If she's anything like Vincent, plus having Heyshit's step-son as her paramour..." his voice trailed off as he sipped his soda.

"I trust her. I wasn't sure at first, but... well.. I have a feeling she wants to prove herself to her father. At first she was out, to perhaps make trouble over Lawthor Hall, but, last night, she changed." Wade spoke out. I was unusual for him. He wasn't normally one to put things forward.

"I agree. I still wouldn't tell her about Lawthor Hall, but lets see how she writes about last night." Seth offered his opinion with a mouthful of pizza.

They all turned to the sound of the outside door open then close. Smiles and looks of surprise greeted Hunter as he entered the back section of the basement.

"Got done early with my rounds. I'm anxious to see that data on Adam. Shawn will be here tomorrow, but I couldn't wait. Ooo pizza! Tony's? Got a supreme?" He rubbed his hands together and grabbed a slice of pizza and ate half of it in one bite. The others laughed.

They spent the next few hours hard at work analyzing their investigation data. Heath got up a couple of times to tend to his laundry, then went right back to work.

At three, Wade put on a pot of coffee and prepared to serve his brownies. For his friends, he'd cut them into extra large servings, he knew no one would mind.

Adam ate a forkful of brownie. A smile broke out on his chocolate smeared lips. "You made sin into an edible delight. Wade you are wonderful!" He crammed another huge bite into his mouth. He slowly licked his lips.

Roman had to look away, all he could think of, was licking chocolate from Adam's naked body. "Um... these are delicious, Wade," he added hastily and sipped some coffee.

Wade smiled. "Glad you like them. I really do enjoy baking. Sounds strange, coming from a guy like me, but there is a lot of therapy in beating things by hand," he remarked and gave Mark a second brownie.

"Say, isn't Fozzy playing at The Fringe tonight? We should all go, let our hair down and dance." Adam suggested with an excited gleam in his eyes.

"Yes, we are, but you don't have to come. I know there is a lot to do here before meeting with Stephanie." Chris spoke sincerely. Fozzy was a band that Chris had put together with a few of the music professors. They mostly played eighties hair band metal covers and were quite good at it. Dean often had them play at The Lunatic Fringe.

They all decided to go except Hunter. He had to do evening rounds and Shawn would want him at home to listen to him practice his sermon.

The group finished up their work. They decided to wait to do the final analysis of the data with Stephanie. Adam thought she might be interested in how they did that part of the investigation.

The floor of the bar known as The Lunatic Fringe was thumping to the beat of Fozzy's music. Roman, Adam, Dean, Seth and even Mark and Wade danced to Chris' singing. It had been a long time since they had danced. It was a wonderful evening.

The next morning, everyone but Mark and Wade sat and listened to Shawn's sermon. Roman, Adam, Chris, Dean, Seth, Jason and Heath all looked so striking and handsome in their suits and ties.

Shawn's sermon was about love of community and helping your neighbors. He always managed to make his point without screaming hellfire and damnation. He was soft spoken and adored by his congregation. The service concluded with a hymn.

After church, the entire group of friends went to the Olive Street house for lunch instead of their usual going out. Heath and Adam laid out a spread of lunch meats, cheeses, breads and all kinds of condiments, olives and pickles. They filled their plates and went out on the front porch to eat. It was such a lovely fall day.

At one-thirty Stephanie McMahon and Brie Bella strolled up the sidewalk of 6152 Olive Street. The girls were both dressed in professional business style pantsuits and Stephanie carried a brief case.

The two college students went up on the porch. Polite greetings were exchanged. Stephanie spoke up. "Nikki isn't part of this any longer. I don't want you to worry, she will keep to her contract. I'm sorry for the way she behaved." Her tone was friendly, yet held a bit of disappointment in Nikki.

"My sister and I may look alike, but that's where it ends. I find this fascinating and I take it seriously." Brie made her statement with a smile.

Later when lunch was finished, everyone was in the basement. They were seated on folding chairs around the huge computer monitor. Each person held a clip board with paper and a pen.

Seth had arranged for each member of the group to have their own headset. "Stephanie, Brie, we wanted you to be part of the final analysis. What we want you to do is watch and listen. If you think you hear or see something paranormal, write down the time stamp that will run across the screen here," he pointed to a spot at the bottom of the screen. Seth continued.

"Don't shout out or talk. At the end, we all compare notes, then we check the time stamps. Remember make a note of _anything_ you think is paranormal. Don't worry about mistakes, we all make them, every time we do this. On the other hand, sometimes one of us catches something everyone else missed. I don't care if you have two hundred time stamps noted. Rather have you note down something questionable, than miss a piece of evidence. Oh, and um... if you need... the ladies room, just call out 'break' and I'll stop the data. Any questions?" Seth looked anxiously at Stephanie and Brie.

Stephanie looked at Seth. "Got it. Write down anything I think is paranormal. I can't wait." She was truly excited about seeing the evidence she had helped to gather. Brie nodded that she understood and remained silent, she too, was anxious to get started.

Everyone put their headsets on, and Seth pushed play. The first data that appeared was of Mark and Wade. The group watched in amazement as the Native American spirit evolved from the thick sage and salt smoke. The audio contained very faint Native American chanting with an extremely faint echo of drums. Everyone noted the time stamp in unison.

Next came the data taken from the tunnels. While Brie, Dean and Seth were investigating, there was nothing on the data, no visuals, no audibles. After the investigators had left the tunnels, a thin wisp of a fog like mist appeared. It seemed to "walk" out of one of the tunnels. It appeared to "hear" something, then vanished as quickly as it appeared. Again there was no audible evidence.

Before the next set of data came on the screen, Chris Jericho called for a restroom break. Bathrooms on all three floors of the house were used. Heath made a pot of coffee and Wade brought down a platter of cookies he'd baked that morning while the others were in church.

The group stood around chatting and enjoying their treats. "So, um.. When do we talk about theories?" Stephanie asked the ghost hunters in general.

Adam replied. "After... but... you have something on your mind?" he asked with a curious look in his eyes.

Stephanie didn't want to sound stupid. "Well, I know I don't know what I'm talking about but... that wisp of fog, it seemed to hear something then vanished. What if it heard the spirit of the Native American? I've double checked. The time stamp of the chanting and the time stamp of the fog, well... they match... see?" She held her clipboard up for Adam to look at.

Chris, Seth, Mark and Shawn all quickly flipped through the papers on their clipboards. Adam smiled. "You all too?" he asked and the four men nodded. "Stephanie, that's really good. Excellent observation," he smiled brightly at the college student.

"I do want to be a good journalist. Observation skills are useful." Stephanie responded. She wasn't bragging, just being honest.

"Keep it up. You will be a good reporter." Jericho spoke with a flick of his cigarette. He stood in the doorway that led outside.

"Wish we could have seen that mist. I had the feeling something was there... but it could have been the situation, wanting something to happen" Brie spoke hesitantly. She thought she sounded crazy. But, then again, these people did this all the time.

They quickly finished their coffee break and went back to work. The footage of Adam was next. It was strange to see the teddy bear's arms waving. Adam's rainbow aura was amazing when it stretched and bent to show the form of a child. You could tell Adam held hands with the spirit. The rainbow pulsated like a colorful heartbeat.

Hunter appeared on the screen. The odd thing was, there was nothing on the audio, except the constant background static, which seemed to pulsate at the same tempo as the aura. Thirteen pens scratched on paper at the same time as they noted the dual pulsating.

Next, Seth re-cued the video to when the teddy bear was brought to the pirate shipwreck.. He then loaded the audio recording from the teddy bear. Everyone leaned forward, some closed their eyes to listen more intently and others had their eyes glued to the fascinating footage on the screen

As the data progressed, everyone picked up on the very faint laughter of a child, but the static interference was tremendous. It seemed as if there was a voice, but it couldn't be heard because of the static. Seth was bitterly disappointed.

Dean noticed the expression his lovers face. He reached over and gently caressed Seth's back. Dean knew Seth hated failure and despite the good, he would think of this as a failure.

The rainbow that extended from Adam to the child spirit changed again. Now the child appeared to be holding hands with another adult. The rainbow aura however, stopped at the boys raised hand, he held nothing but thin air.

Adam smiled and made a note, with the time stamp: _Billy, holding grandmother's hand_. He wished he could see at least an outline of his grandmother, but as usual he couldn't. Maybe it was because his grandmother had "crossed over", that no aura formed around her; ever. He was pleased that the power of his own aura looked to be growing stronger with each investigation. Bray had to see this.

When the footage of Adam was finished, Seth told everyone they could remove their headsets. When the bustle of movement had settled, he began the slide show of still pictures. Seth had loaded the camera images to the computer and enlarged them. Each picture was set to stay on the screen for a full minute.

Even though they no longer had to be quiet to listen to audio, the group remained in a silence of concentration. Occasionally a whisper between a couple would occur, but only to confirm something one of them saw in a picture.

Two hours later, Seth turned off the computer. Everyone got up and stretched. "We can do more sandwiches or call for delivery." Heath stated as he stretched his arms over his head. The movement made his shirt raise and expose his belly. Jason reached over and tickled his husband's bare skin. It made Heath giggle, then flush, in front of students! Sometimes Jay just didn't think.

"I would do unspeakable things for some Cashew Chicken. I vote delivery." Dean said in a playful tone. He knew Seth was upset and nothing cheered Seth up like a Chinese food delivery. The others agreed. Jason placed the order. He got a lot of different entrees, extra rice, sauces, crab Rangoon, wan tans, egg rolls and fortune cookies as well.

Stephanie and Brie pulled out their pocketbooks to chip in for the meal. "No, it's alright, you're our guests. We all put money in every week. We've built up quite a food fund." Roman explained with a laugh. Every week each person put twenty dollars in a Ghosbusters Stay-Puff Marshmallow man piggy bank. They really did have a lot saved for occasions like this.

Adam and Heath went upstairs to make some iced tea. Shawn and Hunter got out the paper plates and plastic silverware. They set up card tables. Dean and Seth rolled out the big, white, dry erase board they used to make notes about the investigation data. Seth also put the teddy bear on a nearby table.

Chris, Mark, Wade and Dean went outside to smoke. Stephanie and Brie felt a bit out of place, everyone seemed to have a certain job to do, leaving them with nothing. "Anything we can do? We _want_ to take part and help anyway we can." Stephanie spoke to Roman as the Islander took out the box with the dry erase pens and erasers.

Roman stopped what he was doing. "Okay. Gather up all the clipboards. Write any common time stamps on the board. Brie highlight them in yellow on the paper. Thanks," he handed Stephanie the box of pens and went out side to join the smokers.

The two girls were busily doing as requested when Adam and Heath came down stairs with two trays. One tray had two pitches of iced tea, the other had several stacks of blue plastic cups, a bowl of sugar and a bowl of lemon slices.

"You girls don't have to do that! Roman Reigns!" Adam called for his husband. How dare Roman hand off his grunt work to their guests.

"No, Prof. It's alright. Brie and I asked to help. We're glad to do it. We felt in the way just standing here doing nothing." Stephanie quickly explained. He eyes were filled with anxiousness. She hadn't meant to cause any trouble.

Adam looked sheepish. "Oh, alright then. I thought he'd passed off his job. Thanks for helping." He nodded with a smile and went to the storage freezer in the corner and took out a bag of ice.

Roman had heard the exchange between his husband and the girls and kept out of it. Sometimes Adam got himself in trouble and it did him good to eat some humble pie, as long as he wasn't in danger.

The men outside were surprised when Bray Wyatt's old pickup truck pulled up into the parking area of the back alley. Bray got out of the truck and walked up to Roman, Mark, Wade, Dean and Chris. He greeted Chris with a quick peck on the lips.

"Meeting?" Bray asked as he removed his old, beat up straw hat and brushed some long hairs from his face.

Roman explained what the college Hill Ghost Hunters were doing and about Stephanie and Brie. "... glad you're here actually. Got more footage and more proof of Etherics and Theosophy... usable footage. Oh and say, please don't mention Lawthor Hall." Roman's voice dropped a barely audible whisper at the end.

Bray seemed distracted, despite the promise of usable footage. "I need to speak to you and Adam; in private. Please?" Bray looked at Roman. He wore a very anxious expression on his face.

Roman looked at Bray. "Sure, go around to the front porch. I'll get Adam." he gave his superior a pat on the back.

Roman went in and spoke to Adam in a whisper. The couple quietly left the group and went to join Bray, who paced the front porch. Bray crumpled his hat in his hands as he paced.

"Bray, what's wrong?" Adam asked with a worried furrow to his brow. He'd never seen Bray looking this upset and concerned.

"It's the boy I told you about. He's been badly beaten by his lover... or... so he said. Point is, he's no longer safe in his dorm room. He's been threatened if he goes to the campus police. Can I bring him here?" his voice was a combination of anger and worry.

"Of course. We have that guest room at the front of the second floor." Adam spoke without any hesitation. He knew Roman would agree. He was right, as Roman nodded.

"Thanks. I'll go get him. You go on with your meeting. I'll stay with him till things are settled. He's in really bad shape. More mentally I think, than physically. Still, I'd like Hunter to have a look at him." Bray again twisted his old hat in his hands.

Roman took a key off the ring he had in his pocket. "Here's the key. The bedding is fresh and clean. The bathroom has clean towels as well. Make him at home. I think it's best if we don't mention this until Stephanie and Brie are gone." The Islander spoke in a serious tone. He gave the key to Bray.

"I agree. Miss McMahon doesn't need to know about his. I'll be back soon. Thank you. The boy needs to be with people who understand." Bray said as he hurried from the porch.

"Poor kid. We'd better get... oh... foods here. Let's help Jason." Adam said as the went to the back of the house. Jason was helping the delivery boy unload bags and bags of food.

A bit later, with full plates, the group sat and talked. "Where did Bray go? I thought he'd want to see the footage." Seth asked before he took another bite of his food.

"He just wanted to know something about one of my tests. He was in a hurry." Roman said the first thing that came to into his mind. He hoped it sounded plausible.

"Exam week is over." Stephanie spoke with an arched brow as she looked hard at Roman.

Roman smiled. "Not for my Doctoral students. They face panels this week. He wanted to clarify one of my questions. You students tend to forget, we teachers work just as hard as you. Especially at exam time." He spoke firmly, then took a huge bite of cashew chicken.

Stephanie nodded and dropped the subject. As the group ate, the conversation turned towards the investigation.

Hunter spoke up. "Well, I was right. The aura pulsated with Adam's heartbeat. Did you notice though, that the aura around the spirit did not pulsate?" the Doctor spoke excitedly. Hunter loved it when he could add medical knowledge for proof to an investigation.

"I find it interesting that the aura never extends to surround grandmother. I can only assume it's because she's crossed over to the light. Bray needs to research that." Adam spoke through a mouthful of rice.

"I want to know about that fog. What did it hear?" Brie asked pointedly, she couldn't let it drop from her mind.

"Everyone wrote it down." Stephanie nodded to the board she'd filled with common time stamps.

Wade swallowed his sip of tea. "I have a theory. I think once we blessed the mounds and freed the area of negativity, the Native American spirit leader was appeased. He released all the trapped souls that were on the island. The "fog" spirit heard it and at the same time, Billy was able to leave." He spoke quietly, almost in reverence of the spirit of the mounds.

"I have to agree with Wade. The Native American system of religion is complex in its simplicity." Shawn added his thoughts. He might not agree with Wade on religion, but he respected the man's talents and abilities.

"Yes I agree. However, it is at least easier to understand than the Hindu's and their thousands of gods." Chris spoke with a bit of a laugh. However, his mind was on Bray. Why had he been so upset and why did he leave so quickly. They may have only been casual lovers, but they did care about each other.

"I've never seen a heat signature like the one Adam's hand left on the ship. It looked so hot at one point, I half expected the old ship to burst into flames." Roman gave Adam's back a gentle caress as he spoke.

"I'm sure Adam's ability is like any other... talent... for lack of a better word. It's getting stronger, as Adam matures, not only in age but in using his gift. Like anything, the more you use a talent, the better it becomes." Shawn expounded with the wisdom of a person experienced in life.

"That makes sense Reverend Helmsley. I was going to ask that very question. Can psychic talent get better with time, or does it stay constant. Are all psychic mediums the same?" Stephanie asked. She _was_ writing and article on the CHGH for 'The Lion' and her mind was full of questions.

Adam put down his tea. "We're all different. Everyone has their own way of... of... working. If you sit four artists down in front of a tree and told them to draw it, you would get four different drawings, even though it's the same simple tree. Understand? You put four mediums in a room with one spirit, their readings would probably be the same, but there would be four different way of getting those readings." He explained as simply as possible.

Stephanie beamed. "I'm going to quote all that in the article, if I may. That's a really great way of explaining it. Did you know Walt Disney actually did that? With artists and a tree?" She asked her brow slightly arched.

Adam laughed with a nod. "Yes, I did. Just watched that a few nights ago on the Disney Channel. That's what gave me the idea, and it is true. Sure, you can quote me, that's why we agreed to do this. I only hope our trust in you isn't misplaced, Stephanie..." he paused, took a sip of tea and became serious as he continued.

"I'm trusting you with something extremely private to me. I didn't ask to be born a psychic, you know. I was chosen, and I respect the gift I was given. I ask you to do the same. I don't care what people say about me, but I will not see others like me disrespected. Too many gifted people hide it, afraid of the gifts they were given. Driven insane by things they refuse to acknowledge. If I can help one troubled psychic through this article, then I will be happy with my decision to risk ridicule and humiliation." Adam spoke, not from his heart, but his very exposed soul. As he spoke, the others in the room had grown still and silent.

Adam lowered his head. Roman put a protective arm around his husband and pulled Adam close. He and the others waited for Stephanie's response.

Stephanie looked around the room. They were all watching, but she noticed another look on the faces of the men. She saw not only respect for Adam, but love as well. The journalist knew the ten men would protect Adam, at any cost.

"Professor Reigns... Adam. I will admit, when I first wanted to do this article, I was ready to expose you as a fraud. Then, I did some research into what the Paranormal Studies Department is all about. What you do deserves to be treated seriously. I plan to do that. I have also since learned, the President of the University is out to close the Department. That, gentlemen, would be an insult, not only to Adam and others like him, but to hundreds of students who chose this University _because_ of the Paranormal Department. If President Heyman eventually gets his way, not only would you be out of work, but many students would leave this University. That cannot happen. I hope my article will prove there is a need for Paranormal Studies. I also hope to prove, that talent and or rather gift Adam and others have is very, very real. Give me that chance, let me _prove_ myself to you. Brie and I are going to give this everything we have. Our reputations as future journalists is on the line too." Stephanie was serious. Her eyes burned with that seriousness, her face was stone.

Adam leaned across the table and extended his hand to the journalist. Stephanie firmly shook Adam's hand. Adam then shook hands with Brie Bella. There was no need for more words. Both sides had made, accepted and respected each others wishes.

"You should take Intro to Paranormal Studies. Tell you what, I'll arrange for you to audit. That way you won't have to pay for the hours, or worry about tests. I'll let you both audit, but, keep it to yourselves. About the article, before it comes out... well, as you can imagine new students to Paranormal Studies are a bit... jumpy. They are afraid of getting mocked, until they realize it is taken seriously. So, would you like that? To audit my class?" Roman looked at the college students. He hoped they would agree.

Stephanie looked at Brie. They both knew they had full hours during the next term. However, and audit would be a great way to get into the Paranormal Department.

Brie gave her friend a nod. I would mean a bit less time for Daniel, but he had Hospital residency next term and wouldn't be around much for a while, anyway.

"We'll do that. Thank you Doctor Reigns. I really appreciate you being so... helpful. I just hope Brock will understand. I wish he was a believer like Daniel, Brie's fiancé." Stephanie spoke with a bit of a sigh. Well, it wasn't that major, Brock wasn't worried about what she did, so long as she gave him a good meal and helped him pass English.

"Great. I'll send you the class time options. Just let me know which class, and I'll audit you in. I'll also tell Doctor Wyatt. You'd do wisely to interview him for the article, not only about the Department, but about Adam. He's worked with Adam since he was eleven. Doctor Wyatt helped Adam with developing, understanding and living with his gift." Roman spoke as he finally finished the last bite of food on his plate.

Stephanie agreed to speak to Bray and to chose which class session to attend. She and Brie stayed and pitched in to do their part in helping to clean up the basement. When the basement was spotless Stephanie and Brie packed up to leave. Seth gave Stephanie a copy of the data disk of the Robinson Crusoe Island Park investigation. They also got copies of the paper work. They promised not to share any of the data or information.

"Next time we do a non-client investigation, you can come along... if you want. Thank you for being mature professionals." Adam stated as he shook hands with the girls once again.

Dean and Seth left as well. They wanted to check in at The Lunatic Fringe.

Chris had challenged Jason to a backgammon match and they had gone up to the Reso's apartment to play. Heath went to take his Sunday night soak in the tube. He loved to fill the tub and read while he soaked.

Shawn and Hunter stayed. Shawn wanted to challenge the winner of the backgammon match between Chris and Jason.

Mark and Wade walked upstairs with Adam and Roman. Mark saw the light coming from under the door of the guest room.

In a whisper Roman explained the real reason for Bray's visit. Wade immediately agreed to help in any way he could. He remembered being alone and terrified in the cornfield, calling for Mark to find him.

Suddenly the door of the guest room opened. Bray came out in a near panic. "Is Hunter here? I can't get the bleeding to stop!"

Adam ran downstairs to get Hunter. No one was sure what was going on. But a boy needed help. Desperately.


	7. The Empath

The backgammon match came to a halt when Adam burst into the room. "Hunter, grab your bag. Upstairs, now!" Adam hurried to go back upstairs. Hunter, Shawn, Jason and Chris were on his heels.

Hunter turned to the others. "Stay out here. Adam, you'd better come." he went into the guest room. The Physician frowned when he saw the young man in the bed. He'd obviously been beaten up. Bray held a blood soaked wash rag to the boys forehead. The boy's lips were bloody and split open. A trail of dried blood ran from his nose, down his cheek. His left eye was nearly swollen shut, and would soon turn black.

Hunter spoke softly as he nodded for Adam to open his medical bag. "It's alright..." he was stopped as the young man spoke.

"I know, Doctor Helmsley. The cut will need sixteen stitches..." his voice was airy and harsh. It sounded like he'd been strangled, and bruising around his neck proved he had been.

Hunter smiled. "Well, just let the old Doctor decide about that. Do you hurt anywhere else?" he asked as he gently pushed Bray's hand away.

The cut was bad, it looked like a heavy ring had done the damage. Hunter cleaned the wound. The young man hissed in pain as the antiseptic hit the open cut.

" _Shh, it will be alright. Just relax. Let Hunter work. Raise your left hand if you hear me."_ Adam spoke to the boy, not with audible words, he spoke with his thoughts. He wanted to test the young man.

" _I don't need to raise my hand. I hear you. I hear everyone, all the time. Help me, Adam. Help me before I really lose my mind."_ the young man also spoke without audible words.

Adam took the young man's hand in his. _"I'll help you. We all will. It won't be easy. Trust us, we know your gift is real. You are safe here."_ The non-verbal communication continued.

"You do need stitches, and you should be in the hospital. You could have a concussion." Hunter said as he prepared an injection that would numb the area to be stitched.

"No... please... not concussed... nothing is broken... afraid..." The young man spoke aloud this time. He was highly agitated, he hated hospitals.

Hunter gave the boy's shoulder a gentle pat. "Alright, alright, no hospital. Now, this will sting, but only for a moment. Bray, he'll need a cup of strong cup of hot tea, with plenty of sugar. It will help prevent shock."

Bray left the room. He briefly explained to the others waiting in the hall, about the guest in the room. They all went down the hall to Mark and Wade's apartment to make tea. Everyone needed a cup. Jason ran back downstairs to tell Heath what was happening.

Adam held the young man's hand while Hunter performed the minor surgery. _"Who did this? I won't tell,"_ Adam resumed the telepathic conversation. He'd had conversations like this with other empaths, but never one so clear and... effortless.

Adam heard a sarcastic laugh. _"My so called lover, Brock Lesnar. I finally told him, it was her or me. I was stupid... I thought it would drive him away. I knew... I... I..."_ he hesitated.

Adam nodded. _"You tried to deny what you knew, that he would be angry and do this to you. You can't fool your empathy. I can teach you how to control it. You can even learn how to turn it off. Can you speak to the dead?"_ Adam continued the conversation. It was very strange to be having such a clear talk with a living soul. Even his grandmother didn't come in this clear.

The boy winced as Hunter tugged the stitches to tie the silk thread in a final knot. He then responded to Adam. _"I honestly don't know. Sometimes I hear and feel things when no one is around, but I don't have to be close to someone to hear them. Oh Adam, I can't take much more."_ he cried out to Adam telepathically.

" _Shh, it's alright. You're among friends and people who can and will help you. I want you to close your eyes..."_ Adam spoke calmly to the young man's mind.

Hunter finished by covering the stitched wound with a neat bandage. "Well it was sixteen stitches..." his words faded. He could tell that Adm and his new patient were communicating. Hunter left them to it and gently went on to clean and treat the other wounds.

" _He.. knows... we're talking... telepathically. He's a nice man... worried about me... why? I am no one to him..."_ the boy's mental voice was growing tired.

" _He understands people like us. Hunter is a good man, the entire group is the same. Now... close your eyes..."_ Adam again spoke calmly. With a bit of a smile on his lips, the boy closed his eyes.

Adam too smiled. _"Now, I want you to imagine a door. A very strong door. Set it firmly in your mind..."_ he paused to give the empath time to do as requested.

Hunter loaded another needle with something mild to help his patient sleep without pain. He wouldn't normally give such an injection, but he knew of the boys trouble, and a sound sleep would do him good. He gave the young man the injection.

Adam continued his non-verbal instructions. _"Now, lock the door. Use as many locks as it takes until you feel safe. My first door had a hundred and fifty locks. That's it, keep adding those locks..."_ he paused again to give the boy time.

Hunter tapped Adam on the shoulder. When Adam looked at him, Hunter spoke in near silence. "He'll sleep soon. He will be alright. I'll go tell the others. I'll be back later. You're doing good, his blood pressure and heart rate have calmed to nearly normal." He gave Adam a smile and packed up his bag. Adam grinned and nodded, he watched as Hunter left the room.

" _It's locked."_ The boy's mental voice was a bit weak but firm in it's confidence.

" _Now, nothing, absolutely nothing can come through that door. No words, no images, no spirits, nothing. When that door is shut and locked, you're safe. Just relax and sleep. You are safe here, I promise."_ Adam's mental words were soft and gentle. He also tenderly stroked the boy's unbruised temple. He could tell the young man was relaxing.

Adam sat with the young man until he was sure he was asleep. He got up from the edge of the bed and with a final assurance the boy was asleep, left the guest room. Adam found the others in Mark and Wade's apartment. Hunter had just filled them in on the patients physical condition.

"He's asleep. I got him to put up and lock a door to his empathic side. It's alright for now, but he'll need a lot of training. Bray, we don't even know his name." Adam looked at his mentor with anxious eyes. Adam was not the kind of psychic who knew peoples names, he didn't have empathic skills like the young man.

"He's a student in one of my classes. His name is Evan Bourne..." Bray paused. Chris Jericho had let a gasp cross his lips. Bray looked at his sometimes lover with an arched brow.

Chris quickly recovered his composure. "He is in my honors history class. Youngest student I've had in that class.. He is such a good, quiet kid... who would... Lesnar did it! Remember, we saw them at the drive-in that night! The lousy bastard!" Chris hit the coffee table in anger.

Bray smiled, now he understood. Evan must be the one Chris had told him about. Chris had told him about a pretty student and lamented he couldn't ask him out because he was in one of Chris' classes.

Bray and Chris had an open relationship. Chris knew about Luke and Erick, and that they were the true loves of Bray's life. Bray wanted to see Chris happy. He knew the history teacher was lonely, maybe this could somehow work out. He thought Chris and Evan would be good for each other.

Wyatt looked at Jericho. "He's the one, isn't he? The one you told me about?" He looked at Chris with concern in his eyes.

Chris nodded, his face had gone from anger to sadness. "He's such a sweet kid, but always so... guarded. Now it's all making sense. Oh Adam you _can_ help him, can't you? Hunter, anything he needs, I'll pay for. Will he be alright?" The historian looked from Adam to Hunter with deep worry lines across his handsome face.

Hunter responded first. "He will be sore for a few days. He has sixteen stitches in his head and a black eye. He'll need a lot of tender, loving care." He smiled softly at Chris. The physician had a feeling the TLC would be aptly taken care of.

"We'll work with him, Chris. It won't be easy but he wants the help, that's a major step. A lot of empaths try to ignore it... refuse to acknowledge their powers, so to speak. Asking for help... it's good, very good." Adam spoke softly with a hand on Chris' shoulder. The psychic could feel how much Chris cared about Evan.

"I'll go sit with him. I'll take this in case he wakes." Chris nearly whispered and picked up the cup of steaming hot tea. No one moved to stop the historian, they could all see how he felt about Evan.

Bray slumped back on the couch. "I hope... Chris needs this. Especially now, my boys are moving up here. Finally found a small farm to buy for them. They know about Chris, but... well, it's complicated. I'll be back tomorrow, we'll start Evan's training. Will he be up to it, Hunter?" Bray asked, brow raised.

Hunter nodded. "just don't push him too hard. I'd also prefer if he could stay in bed for a least another day. I'll come change the bandage tomorrow. He told me he wasn't concussed, but it can delay, symptoms can occur up to twenty four hours after the injury. If anything changes during the night, call me." The Doctor spoke firmly.

Good byes were exchanged as Hunter and Shawn left. Bray soon followed with a promise to return the next day. Jason and Heath went down to their apartment. Both men had early shifts at their different jobs. Heath was filling in for a week at the Deere plant. He hated factory work, but he loved the pay.

Roman and Adam went up to their apartment, but only after Wade promised to get Adam if things changed with Evan. It wasn't long before the house was still and quiet.

In the guest room, Chris Jericho kept watch over Evan. Chris sat in the window seat. He took a deep drag from his cigarette and exhaled out the open window. The expelled smoke caught the rays of the rising sun and swirled in dreamlike patterns, as the smoke drifted through the open window. The air coming in was fresh and crisp, proving that fall was quickly marching towards winter.

"Those things will kill you, Doctor Jericho." Evan spoke in a harsh, airy whisper. He let out a slight whimper as he moved in the bed.

Chris threw the cigarette out of the window and went to Evan's bedside. He sat in the chair he'd been in most of the night.

"How are you feeling? Need anything?" Chris asked with a soft smile on his lips and kindness sparkled in his blue eyes.

Evan winced as he moved to sit up against the headboard. "Banged up, and a glass of water, please? Have you... been here all night?" He worked hard to keep the empathic door locked. He wanted to have a "normal" conversation with Chris.

Chris moved to fill the glass on the bedside table. Earlier, he gone and filled a pitcher with fresh ice water. He gently held the back of Evan's head with one hand and held the cup to Evan's lips with the other. Evan loved the pampering touches from the handsome history teacher.

When Evan finished, Chris set the cup back on the table. "Thank you, Doctor Jericho. Um.. don't... about Brock... let it go... I'm... I asked him to chose... shouldn't have... it's over now... this was his... goodbye..." Evan explained as best he could. His throat hurt and was extremely tender.

Chris sighed. "Alright. I'm glad you won't be seeing him anymore. You deserve someone who will take care of you... and let you care for them. That's how it's supposed to work. Adam, Roman, Bray, all of us will help you. We all know your gift is real." He spoke softly at first, then normally as he changed the subject.

Evan scoffed. "Gift? A gift, to bear everyone's thoughts? Their cries for help, their tears of anguish? I... must control it, before it controls me. I'll take your help, I'm not... I can't do it alone..." he paused and looked at Chris, then spoke again. "Someone like... you?" his dark eyes flashed at Chris with a blush on his bruised cheeks.

Chris shifted in his chair. "How old are you?" He looked at Evan. His blue eyes clear in his feelings for the younger man.

"I turned twenty-one on March nineteenth, So I'm closer to twenty-two." He answered Chris' question. Evan hoped his age wouldn't matter.

"I'll be forty one soon. Twenty years, that's a big gap..." Chris sighed. He'd hoped Evan was older than he looked, could such a gap work?

"Guess I'd better drop honors history..." Evan muttered as he kept his eyes pinned on Jericho.

Chris shook his head. "No, Evan, you're too smart for that. Tell you what, the class is for six more weeks. You need that time to learn to master your empathy. We'll take the time to get to know each other, see where it might lead. I do like you. You caught my eye the first... oh well, I guess you know that. Yep, gotta learn to control the empathy." He gave Evan a wink. He believed what he said, Evan needed help before he needed another relationship.

Evan nodded, he couldn't think anymore, the locks were starting to open. "Sounds perfect. I need... it's starting again... Adam?" His voice was weaker and his expression had turned grim.

Chris stood. He hesitated, then leaned down and kissed the top of Evan's head. "I'll get Adam. Be right back." He spoke with an encouraging smile.

Evan snuggled down in the bed and let the warm sensation of Chris' kiss wash over him, it was like a comforting blanket.

Chris went up to the third floor. He gently knocked on the door at the top of the stairs. Adam opened the door. "Hey Chris. Evan alright?" the blond asked as he stepped aside to let Chris into the apartment.

"He wants you. I think he can't shut it out, he seemed to be struggling." Chris spoke anxiously, and his eyes reflected that anxiousness.

"Alright. Roman's in the kitchen, go eat. I'll take care of Evan." Adam gave Chris a nudge towards the kitchen.

Chris allowed himself to be guided to the kitchen. A cup of coffee sounded really good about now.

Adam went downstairs. When he got to the guest room, he was surprised to see Hunter. The physician had just arrived and was taking off his coat.

"Hello, Adam. I was just telling Evan, I wanted to stop by before I do rounds at Sartori. So, how did you sleep?" Hunter asked as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Evan moved a bit to give Hunter room. Adam sat in the chair Chris had used. "I actually slept. I can't say I like the drugs, but it was a good sleep." he replied honestly.

"You'll sleep once you learn how to hold the door closed. Oh.. sorry Hunt, I'll be quiet." Adam laughed and blushed.

Hunter laughed. "It's okay, Adam. I'm sure you're right. Don't worry Evan, the sleeping shot was a one time deal. Now, let me take a look at you." His voice was warm and friendly. Evan was instantly at ease.

Hunter gave his patient a complete examination. His last check was of the stitched wound. "Looks good. No infection. I'll come change this again tonight. Your eye will be swollen for a while, but luckily, the optical bones are fine. You're lucky, I've seen worse. Now, I didn't want to ask you this last night, but, were you sexually assaulted?" He asked as gently as he could. Hunter well remembered taking care of Wade, he hoped Evan had not endured the same.

Evan hung his head. "No, it didn't get that far. It might have, but he got a phone call. We're done. He made his choice and I'm not sorry." He spoke matter of fact. It was what it was.

"I'm glad it didn't go that far. Now, you will be fine in a few days. Listen to Adam, he can help you. We will _all_ help you. I'll be back this evening. Call me if anything changes." Hunter packed up his doctor's bag as he spoke.

Hunter let himself out with a wave to Evan and Adam. Adam looked at Evan. "You feel like coming upstairs for breakfast? I can also give you breakfast in bed. Either way, you need to eat, it takes energy to control your gift." Adam raised the window blinds a bit as he spoke.

Evan smiled, Chris was upstairs. "I'd love to stretch my legs, I'll go upstairs." he slowly moved off the bed. Adam helped Evan slip on his robe. Evan was a bit unsteady on his feet, but by the time he'd tied the robe and stepped into his slippers, he felt better.

"Did Doctor Wyatt... any clothes?" Evan asked as he followed Adam up the stairs.

"I'm sure he'll bring some later. You can borrow some from Heath, you're about the same size," Adam responded as he opened the door of the apartment he shared with his husband.

Evan smiled, the apartment was warm and inviting. Adam and Roman had good taste. Cool colors and simple decoration made the rooms look bigger than they were. Adam led him into the cheerful, pale yellow kitchen it was a farmhouse on a city scale.

Chris and Roman stood as Adam and Evan entered the kitchen. Chris held a chair for Evan as he sat down at the table. It was a round table that fit well into the space created by the room's bay window. Evan smiled when Chris poured him a cup of coffee.

"Thank you. You have a great place, lots of happiness here. Yes, scrambled are fine... oh... sorry." Evan had answered the question before Adam had asked.

"Close it, Evan. Reset the locks. I hate to start off pushy, but you must constantly work at it, especially at first. With time, it will become automatic." Adam spoke firmly as he mixed up a batch of eggs to scramble.

Evan closed his eyes. He mentally replaced the broken locks on the door that he's built in his mind. He wasn't here to screw around, if Adam was hard on him it was because he cared. Slowly the locks clicked shut.

When Evan opened his eyes, a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast set before him. He picked up his fork, and looked at the table.

"Um... do you have any ketchup?" Evan asked with a bit of a sheepish grin. Most people thought the combination was gross.

"Finally, someone who knows how scrambled eggs should be eaten. Pass that please." Chris said with a laugh as he waited for Evan to finish with the ketchup Adam had provided.

"You two are... disgusting. Spoiling my wonderful eggs like that... Roman Joseph Reigns! Put that ketchup down!" Adam exclaimed as his husband also put ketchup on his eggs.

Roman laughed, leaned over and kissed Adam's cheek with his ketchup covered lips. "Love you, Viking." He gave Adam a wink, as his husband swiped his face with his napkin.

Adam rolled his eyes. Adam then looked at Roman with love, a love that burned like fire in his hazel eyes. "Love you, Islander." The couple smiled at each other and began to eat their breakfast.

Evan watched the exchange with a sad look on his face. "Like momma and poppa. They were in love, like you and so happy... till poppa went to heaven. She is so sad now... I want... what you have..." he let his words fade and took a small bite of his breakfast.

Chris put down his fork. He wrapped Evan in his arms and held the younger man close. He didn't hide his feelings about Evan from Roman and Adam. If he couldn't trust his friends like he trusted them, there was no point.

Roman and Adam looked at each other. They knew Chris and Evan belonged together. Now, they had to help Evan, for now that was their main priority.

The two couples finished their breakfast. Chris and Roman did the clean up while Adam took Evan down to raid Heath's closet.

"You sure he won't mind?" Evan asked as he took the t-shirt Adam had taken out of the closet.

Adam smiled. "He won't care. Jason is my brother from another mother, and so is Heath. I guess, I'd better tell you about all of us. Here..." Adam picked up a silver picture frame that sat on Heath and Jason's dresser.

The frame surrounded a picture of all the members of the College Hill Ghost Hunters. By the time Adam finished, Evan felt like he knew every member of the group. He even knew about Carol and Judy's trip around the world.

They had worked their way back to the guest room Evan was staying in. Adam freshened up the room while Evan took a bath. When he was finished and dressed, Evan felt better, even though he still looked like a horribly bruised banana. It didn't matter, the wounds would heal and the bruises would fade.

Evan finally laid back down on the bed. "You know, in all the time we've been talking, I haven't had one empathic thought. It's the same when I'm in class, during lectured, it vanishes. Thing is, I can't talk constantly or listen to lectures twenty four hours a day. Oh Adam, can I really learn?" He looked at the older man in desperation.

Adam went to the bed and sat on the edge. He gently stroked Evan's battered brow. "Yes, you can. I did, trust me. If a scatter brain like me can do it, I know you can. I'm not really an empath as such. I can't read a normal person's thoughts, only other psychics, the dead and a very few empaths like you. Our telepathy last night was the first in ages for me, and it was the clearest. I know it sounds... simplistic, and unscientific, but the locked door works. We just have to work on making the door and its locks strong." He explained with gentle touches to Evan's brow.

"Doctor Wyatt said the same. He said there were mental exercises I could do. Say... um... don't Chris and Doctor Wyatt..." Evan asked curiously. He was suddenly worried about it.

Adam smiled. "Yes, they are... well, maybe you'd better talk to Chris about that. I will tell you that Bray has two very serious lovers. They are going to move up here to farm.. so... he won't need Chris and I know Chris likes you. I'll leave it to the two of you. I don't interfere in relationships. See, I nearly caused Jay and Heath to break up when I tried to push their relationship along faster." He gave Evan another soft smile. He wasn't about to interfere with Evan and Chris' budding relationship.

Bray Wyatt found Roman, Adam, Chris and Evan sitting round the Reign's kitchen table, enjoying tuna salad sandwiches on toast with fresh tomatoes.

Greetings were exchanged and Adam set a plate in front of his mentor. Bray put together his sandwich, took a bite and smiled. "Like mom used to make. Not many add sweet pickles and hard boiled eggs. Carol did her job, teaching you to cook. Now, Evan, how are you?" Bray remembered to swallow his food before he spoke.

"I'm alright, a bit stiff and sore, but I'll manage. Adam has me working on a locked door. I can hold it for a while, like when talking or listening. As soon as it gets too quiet, I weaken and the locks open" Evan explained with a bit of a frustrated tone. He took a bite of his own food.

Bray nodded. "Normal, perfectly normal. As long as your empathy is blocked by conversation or concentrated listening, your subconscious mind closes the empathic... path. The door will work, but it takes a lot of practice and patience. We will do some exercises to reinforce the door." He sounded like the doctor he was.

Roman spoke. "The best exercises is for another empath or psychic to fire mental thoughts at you. Adam will do that. Your part will be to deflect them, build a mental force field. I'd like to do some monitoring, if you agree." He also sounded like the Doctor of Parapsychology he'd worked so hard to become.

Evan nodded. "For you, I'll do it. I owe you for helping me and I know you won't use or exploit me. If it will help others, I'm more than glad to do it," he spoke eagerly.

Roman grinned. "Thank you. It's very hard to find people willing to be tested. I can do it, right here in the privacy of the basement. I will use it in my lab, but no one will know who you are. And yes, Evan, it will help others like you and Adam." He gave Evan's hair a playful tousle.

Evan blushed. For the first time he felt completely accepted. He wasn't the weirdo that answered questions before they were asked. His appetite increased and Evan loaded another sandwich onto his plate. Chris grinned brightly and dug into his own food.

After lunch, Chris left to go to his apartment. He wanted to give Evan a chance to work without interference. He promised to return for dinner. Evan wanted to cook, despite being so banged up. Chris admired the young man even more.

Bray, Adam and Evan went down to the basement. Roman wanted to give them a chance to work a bit first before starting the scientific experiments. Instead, he took the shopping list Evan had given him and went to the Hy-Vee.

In the basement, Evan got a quick tour. Adam put a load of laundry in the washer. "Alright, this is where we do our ghost hunting data analysis. Seth also recently moved his equipment into the back room. He builds new hunting devices. One day we hope to have an office on The Hill, but for now this is CHGH Headquarters. We meet with clients at Dean and Seth's bar, The Lunatic Fringe." Adam finished giving Evan a quick tour of the basement.

The three men sat down in the more quiet back room. Bray faced Evan and Adam. "Best way to learn is to just... do it. Now, unlock the door and open it, but only ajar. It will be like mental jumping jacks. When I say close, slam the door and lock it. When I say open, open all the locks and the door. Easy enough, right?" He looked hard at Evan.

"Seems so, but I know it won't be. Nothing worth having is easy to obtain." Evan spoke like a wise old owl. He did know this would be extremely hard to do.

Bray began the mental exercises. "Close... open... close... open... close... open... close." He'd started slowly, giving about a minute between directions.

Evan took a deep breath. "It's... hard, but the last two came much faster. Go again." His face was carved in determination. His tone was almost demanding.

Bray reached over and gently gave Evan's knee a pat. "Easy, son. You aren't going to learn in a day. Adam tried to push too... tell him." The Parapsychologist nodded to Adam.

"Bray's right. I tried to hurry and push and it nearly drove me crazy. I got confused and opened at the wrong times. In my confusion, a very evil spirit got in. It was a long, hard battle to get rid of it. That's how Mark and Wade came to us. Mark got rid of the demon and Wade keeps us under constant protection. So, lets go slow and steady." Adam's face was grim. His words were deadly serious.

Evan nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound pushy." He hung his head. There was so much to learn, but he wanted to do it right.

"It's alright. Now, when I tell you, I want you to open. However, this time Adam will come at you telepathically. Don't let him get control. Remember, you control the empathy, it does not control you. Ready?" Bray looked at Even expectantly.

"Ready." Evan confirmed with a nod. He balled his fists in determination.

"Adam, you know what to do. Start gentle, then as he gains resistance, go a bit harder. You remember." Bray gave Adam a nod, and Adam returned it.

Adam closed his eyes. He spoke telepathically to Evan. _"I'm going to start now. Get ready, I'll send only images at first, block them."_ He felt Evan brace himself.

Evan's mind was hit with an image of a flower. Adam wanted to start easy. Evan removed the image rather quickly. Each image Adam sent grew steadily darker in nature. A spider, a snake, and so on. He could feel each time Evan shut the door.

Adam's images grew even darker. A car accident, a shooting and finally an image of an atomic bomb exploding. Evan was barely able to shut off the last few images. By the time Adam finished, Evan was sweating and panted hard to catch his breath. Adam was just as exhausted.

"Guys! Hey! Adam! Evan! Stop!" Bray had been calling out to the two telepaths for the last fifteen minutes.

Both Adam and Evan shook themselves. "Sorry Bray, he was doing so well I didn't want to stop. Sorry Evan, I'm so sorry." Adam leaned over and hugged Evan tightly. Adam could feel Evan trembling.

Evan clung to Adam. "It's alright. I have to learn, but I will admit, the last few images were hard to shut out, but I did it!" He was exhausted, but proud and happy he'd done so well the first time.

"You did great. Roman can do his tests tomorrow. That's it for today. I must go. I have to sign the papers for the farm. Great little place on Viking Pump Road. Evan, keep the door closed and locked as much as possible and get some rest." Bray stood and gave Evan's head a pat.

Adam and Evan saw Bray out, then went up to Adam's apartment. Roman had long since returned from shopping. Adam could hear the TV in their living room. Evan went to the kitchen after assuring Adam he was up to cooking.

Roman was watching a documentary on the pyramids the Aztecs had built near Mexico City. He smiled when Adam curled up next to him. Adam rested his head on Roman's shoulder. He was safe in the strong Island arms. During a commercial, Adam filled Roman in on Evan's training session.

"... he did well. Bray said you can start tomorrow." Adam curled tighter around Roman and kicked off his shoes, then continued. "So what was on the grocery list? I'm hungry." Adam gave Roman's neck a nip.

Roman shuddered. "I promised not to tell, but you will love it," he growled his words and pulled Adam into his lap and kissed him deeply. Adam melted into his husband's kiss.

Evan smiled from the doorway. He'd come to ask where Adam kept the cooking oil, but tiptoed out when he saw the couple enjoying a loving moment. He wanted that... hopefully with Doctor Chris Jericho.

There was a light tap on the apartment door as Evan headed back to the kitchen. He felt his mental door unlocking to search who was behind the physical door. He closed his eyes and added another lock to the mental door. He opened the apartment door. Evan beamed, it was Chris Jericho.

"Hi, well, come on in. Adam and Roman are um... well, come into the kitchen. Say, you don't happen to know where Adam keeps the cooking oil, do you?" Evan started off shyly then realized he was being silly. Evan already felt like part of the family. He led Chris into the kitchen.

Chris smiled. "I do actually. It's in the cupboard, over the stove," he pointed to said cupboard. Chris then sat at the kitchen table and continued. "What are you making? Smells good."

Evan grabbed the bottle of cooking oil. "Tacos. The meat needs to simmer. Help me chop? I need to make salsa, plus we need tomatoes, lettuce and onions for taco toppings." He held a knife out for Chris to take.

"Glad to help. So, how did today go?" Chris asked as he began to help Evan chop the needed vegetables. Evan and Chris chatted companionably about not only Evan's session, but life in general; likes, dislikes, philosophies, music, books and other things.

Chris and Evan never knew when Roman and Adam came into the kitchen. The married couple smiled and left Chris and Evan alone to talk. They went back to the living room.

"Hey! Anybody home?" Heath called from the door. Both the Reigns' and Reso's had key to each others apartments. Neither couple cared if the other came to use or borrow something.

Adam called out. "Living room!" He was back to being sprawled out on the couch, his head in Roman's lap.

Heath entered the room. He batted Adam's feet out of the way and sat down. Heath's expression turned serious. "Got a text today. We may have a new case. A lady says her daughter said there's a monster in the closet. I called her, she really sounded desperate. He daughter has changed from a happy child to scared, and cowed. She's ten and has even started to wet the bed. The mom said, last night she heard scratching and growling coming from the closet. She opened the door. There was nothing there, but she said there were fresh scratch marks on the inside of the closet door." Heath explained in a serious tone. Deep lines of worry creased across his brow.

"Set up a meeting as soon as possible. This doesn't sound good. Better warn Mark and Wade." Adam replied thoughtfully. "Oh, and Evan and I borrowed some of your clothes." He added with a slight smile.

"No problem. Hope he's alright. Okay, I'll set it up. Yeah, I drop in at Mark's on the way back down. Gotta go, Jay will be home soon. Gotta make supper. I'll let you know about the meeting. See ya." Heath gave Adam a slap on the leg and left.

Roman looked at Adam. "Sounds bad. I don't like demons or evil spirits." he was interrupted by Chris.

"Dinner is ready. You're gonna love it." Chris had a happy smile on his face. The happiest anyone had seen in a very long time.

Evan had made a delicious taco dinner and was pleased his food was good enough to start a taco eating contest between Roman, Adam and Chris.

Adam had to stop at ten, Roman made it to fourteen, but Chris beat them all by eating sixteen fully loaded tacos. Evan blushed with pride. He also knew that Chris was not going to let Roman beat him, even if he got sick later. That wasn't empathic thought, it was a romantic one.

As they sat around the table, digesting and talking, Adam told Chris about the possible case Heath had spoken about.

"I don't like the sound of that. Mark and Wade better power up. Shawn too." Jericho rubbed his belly thoughtfully.

"Can I help?" Evan asked as he picked up Chris' dirty plate. He wanted to be a help to the group if he could.

"We'll see. You may not be ready to face something evil. But, I'll talk to Bray. You might be good with the child." Adam explained honestly. He wasn't sure a demon wouldn't prey upon Evan's weakness.

What would the next case bring. Would they be up against a demon?


	8. The Monster in the Closet

The mother of the little girl was so desperate, she begged for a meeting the next day. Heath was able to pull the entire team together. They now sat in the upstairs room of The Lunatic Fringe. Evan was there as well.

The woman, Shelly Wilson, was in near tears. "It happened again last night. Growling and scratching on the closet door. Nothing there when I opened the door, but more fresh marks. Mary is terrified, she won't even go upstairs anymore. She sleeps on the couch, when she sleeps. Please, I know you've helped other people, please, help us!" Shelly asked with desperation on her face and in her voice.

Adam exhaled the drag of cigarette he'd inhaled. "We will do what we can. We never promise, but we haven't failed yet. Are you willing to do anything it takes?" He asked the anxious mother.

She grabbed Adam's arm. "Yes, oh yes. Whatever it takes. I can't afford to move again... I just can't..." she let a few tears roll down her cheeks.

Adam gently patted her hands. "Try not to worry. We will do what we can. Hang on one more night. We'll be there tomorrow." He tried to comfort as best he could.

Hunter pulled a paper out of his wallet. "Here, use this tonight. Take Mary and have a night of peace. It's alright, please take it." He held out a voucher for a nights stay at a small hotel downtown. It was a nice, safe place.

She hesitated, she didn't like charity. Shawn looked at Shelly and smiled. "Please, give Mary a peaceful night. These are the vouchers I use at the church. Everyone needs help now and then. It's not charity, donate back to the church when you can, whatever you can. Do it for Mary. We'll even take you to the hotel, the owner is a good friend of ours." He spoke in earnest. He hoped she'd take the voucher.

Shelly took the voucher. "Thank you. I do appreciate it. We could use the ride too. I'll give back, when I can, I swear it..." she let out a sigh of relief.

They finished up the meeting. Hunter and Shawn took Shelly home to get a few things for the night. Mary had gone to the neighbors, but was glad to be going to a hotel.

Shawn and Hunter waited in the downstairs foyer of the Wilson home. Shawn suddenly grabbed Hunter's arm in a screech of pain. "I've been scratched! Hunter, I felt it!" His eyes were wide with the surprise and fear of the attack.

Hunter looked at his husband's arm. The scratch went across the back of Shawn's left hand. It wasn't bleeding, but it was red and angry looking. Just then they heard Shelly on the stairs. Shawn put his hand in his pocket and flashed Hunter a look. Hunter nodded, no point in making Shelly worry further.

They took Shelly to the car where Mary waited. The little girl seemed relaxed and happy. Shelly smiled as well, they knew, thanks to the College Hill Ghost Hunters they would be safe, for one night at least.

Hunter and Shawn took Shelly and Mary into the small but elegant hotel. They introduced the mother and daughter to the owner. He gave them the key to a room on the top fourth floor. The Helmsley's saw the Wilson's up to their room. Good nights were said and hugs exchanged.

Back down in the car, Shawn pulled his hand out of his pocket. Shelly and Mary had been unaware that Shawn had kept his hand hidden.

"It really hurts, babe. It's worse now, and Hunter, I heard a voice just before the scratch. It... it... Oh Hunter, take me to Mark, now." Shawn cried out in pain. The wound burned like fire.

Hunter started the car and sped toward Olive Street. If Shawn wanted to see Mark, it must be bad. He'd never seen Shawn so... frightened. Shawn might be a Pastor, but he was not weak. Shawn had been plenty of fights in his time, some of them were vicious bar fights, Shawn had a storied past.

Shawn took his cell phone out of his pocket. He rapidly wrote out a text message. He sent it to all the College Hill Ghost Hunters. By the time they turned onto Olive Street, everyone had replied; they would come to Mark and Wade's.

"We were just standing there, waiting for Shelly. I heard a voice, then this happened." Shawn held out his wounded hand. Three long, red, angry looking scratches marred the skin of the preacher. The group gasped as one.

Mark reached out and carefully took Shawn's hand in his. He looked at Shawn. "What did you hear, Shawn? Word for word, it's very important." His deep, slow voice was as serious as the look on his face.

Shawn knew he had to say it. "Forgive me, I would never... it said... 'fuck you, priest'...It was a low growl. Oh Mark..." was all Shawn could say. He could barely manage to repeat the horrible words.

Mark nodded. "Hunter, better clean and wrap that. Nothing but time will heal it. It needs to be cleaned with Holy Water. I need to see something. Wade?" He looked at his lover. Wade got up and went into another room. He returned with a small plastic bottle.

Wade handed the bottle to Hunter. Hunter took the bottle and opened his ever present medical bag. Hunter took out some fresh cotton and opened the bottle of Holy Water. He poured the water over Shawn's wound. Shawn winced, but it wasn't overly painful. Hunter finished cleaning and then bandaged the wound.

Mark looked at Shawn. "No burning?" His brow was arched in curiosity.

Shawn shook his head. "No, not really. Just a bit of a sting." His response was honest.

"The wound of a demonic would have burned and sizzled, like cleaning a dirty cut with peroxide. We might not have a demon, it could be a trickster. Sometimes, they are worse. They can pick up your fears and use them, effectively. Well Wade, at least we can prepare." Mark said with a glance to Wade.

"Well, I haven't had time to gather any history of the property. I'll see what I can find out before tomorrow night." Chris stated to the group. Usually in a case like this, there wasn't much history, but, there could be something about the house or property it sat on.

"No new equipment for this, just the standard basic set up will work." Seth said as he make a mental checklist.

Adam looked over at Evan. Hunter was changing the bandage on the young man's forehead. When Hunter finished, Adam spoke.

"Evan, I want you out of this. I know you are anxious to help, and we'd _like_ you help. You are not ready for something like a trickster. It will pick up on your empathic abilities and drive you insane. Please, understand. See Shawn's hand, what it did? That could easily be your mind. I know Roman and Bray would agree." Adam looked at his husband, then back at Evan.

"Adam is right, Evan. It's too dangerous. You can help later, when we analyze the case data." Roman spoke firmly and agreed with Adam.

"I'd listen to them, Squirt. None of us want to see you hurt." Dean spoke with a friendly smile.

Evan smiled at the men in the room. "Alright. I don't want to make it worse by being there. I hope someday, I will be strong enough." He hid the sadness, but, he did understand. It was frustrating.

"There will be a time when having your help will be useful. As a Theosophist Empath, with your sharp third eye, you will _see_ things others can't. For instance, nature spirits, elementals such as gnomes, ondines, sylphs, and salamanders. You will also probably be able to see faeries with your third eye. I know, I know... gnomes and faeries, you must be thinking I'm crazy. However, they _do_ exist...oh well... one day we hope to prove it. Maybe by the time we go to Ireland, you'll be an expert." Roman explained in a serious voice. The hardness of his expression was also serious.

"You're going to Ireland? To ghost hunt?" Evan asked with a wide eyed excitement.

"Adam smiled. "In June of next year. The owner of Leap Castle, Sian Ryan invited us. We had to find a block of time when all eleven of us could go. Also gives us time to save up the money to pay Shawn and Hunter back for the tickets." He gave a smile to the older couple. Hunter and Shawn had already bought their block of airline tickets, but everyone had wholeheartedly agreed to pay them back as quickly as possible.

"Can we worry about Ireland later? We have a very serious case right here. One of us has already been injured and we haven't even started the investigation." Wade uncharacteristically, spoke sharply and rather angrily. He wasn't sure anyone understood how serious this could be. Even Mark was surprised at his lover's tone of voice.

Wade sighed. "I'm sorry, but gentlemen, you must understand. A demon is bad enough, but at least a demon is honest, you _know_ what your dealing with. A trickster is a liar and a deceiver. You _don't_ know what you're dealing with. A trickster will take your worst nightmares and fears and use them to control you. You can exercise a demon, but not a trickster. Nobody and I mean nobody goes into that house tomorrow until we've protected you. This means you, Dean Ambrose. I know you like to be open, hoping for contact, not this time. Shawn, I know you do your own protecting, but please, just this once, let me add mine, please?" He nearly begged as he spoke. None of them had ever seen Wade this forceful or insistent.

Mark went to his lover, who stood in the middle of the living room. He wrapped Wade in his arms. "It's okay baby, it's okay..." He looked over the top of Wade's head. He eyed both Dean and Shawn and looked at them with his own pleading eyes. He hoped, just this once they would let Wade protect them.

Shawn looked at Mark. He fought with himself. He didn't always agree with the Wizard and Demonologist, but group trust was important, God would understand that. He made his decision. "Wade, I'll accept your protection. It's important that we have group trust. Wade, I do take this seriously. After all, I was the one that was scratched, and heard those awful words. We need to get rid of that thing so Shelly and Mary can be safe." Shawn stood and put a calming hand on Wade's shoulder. Mark gave him a look of thanks. Shawn smiled at the couple.

Dean too, stood and went to Wade. "Listen man, if it means that much to you, then I'll do it... at least this time. I don't wanna be attacked by something like that." He got the same look of thanks from Mark.

"You all really do love and care about each other. I mean _really_ care. I've never had people like you in my life... being an empath... isolates you..." Evan spoke with a bit of a sad sigh.

Heath sat next to Evan and Chris on the sofa. He gave Evan's knee a pat. "Well, you're stuck with us now. You might eventually be sorry though. Some of us can be a right pain in the ass." He laughed and planted a wet, sloppy, playful kiss on Evan's temple.

Wade pulled away from Mark, just a bit. "Thank you, Shawn. Thank you, Dean. Thank you all. I'm sorry I freaked, but tricksters worry me. We'll get the job done, as a team. We will make their home a safe place to live." He spoke with sincerity and addressed each man in the room.

All the men in the room, including Evan, grouped around Wade and Mark and shared a group hug. It was a moment they all needed. They had to prepare for the battle ahead.

The next night, two black SUV's pulled up at a two story house on Tremont Street. It was the house of Shelly Wilson and her ten year old daughter, Mary. Seth was already busy setting up a mobile command center. He sat in front of a large computer monitor and held a two-way radio in his hand.

Seth was telling Dean, Heath and Jason where to set up the static video cameras. "Dean, I want one in the closet, as well as outside. You'll need an IR light. Heath, just a bit lower... perfect, lock it down. Jason, open it a little wider... oops... yeah... good, lock it down. Good, Dean... angle the... yeah... yup... on the door... there ya go... okay, lock it down... Adam, cameras are set and locked, come see if you're happy with the angles." Seth put down the two-way radio and started working on the computer.

Shawn sat with Mary and Shelly in the living room. Normally, they didn't like having the child present, but in this case, Mary was the trigger. She needed to be there. When they were set and ready, Wade would do his protection. For once, Shawn was glad to have it.

Adam went out to the SUV command center. It was the first time it was used. Seth had designed the rack system and computer center. He'd taken the SUV to the auto body shop to have it built and installed. It was finished just that morning. Seth hoped no unexpected "bugs" would hamper the investigation. He had back up systems ready, just in case.

"This is great, Seth. You are a genius. The cameras look good. Glad you thought to cover both sides of the closet. I want to use the teddy bear. If it comes to Mary, the bear might pick something up." Adam was truly impressed with the mobile command center. It would make things a lot easier.

Seth gave a sheepish dip of his head. "Thanks. I just hope it all works. First time there are bound to be issues. I'll stay here, that way if something does bug out, I can deal with it immediately." He continued to work on the computer keyboard.

"That's fine, but come inside for a minute. Wade is going to do his protection. Bring the bear." Adam reminded Seth as he jumped down from the back of the SUV.

Seth got the bear and followed after Adam. Everyone had started to gather in the living room. Seth explained to Mary about the teddy bear. They were waiting for Mark and Wade. The couple were outside, placing a ring of sacred salt around the house. Now, no new entities could enter. When the ring was complete, the Wizard and Demonologist went into the house.

The first thing Wade did was to make a large circle of sacred salt. He called for everyone to stand inside the circle. He made sure the ring was unbroken and everyone was inside. Wade wore a robe of pure white wool with threads of silver worked in patterns of intricate scrolls and swirls. He pulled his hood up, it almost hid his face from view.

Mark also pulled the hood of his robe up over his head. His robe was as black as Wade's was white. The black wool was covered with the same kind of sliver embroidery. Both robes gathered in pools of fabric around their feet. Everyone of Wade's ten fingers bore a ring. The two rings on each index finger were silver with deep blue sapphires. The other rings were silver with different magical symbols engraved on them. Mark only wore one ring on his left index finger. It was silver with a large, oval cut, blood red ruby.

Wade placed a small silver bowl in the palm of his left hand. His right hand held a small wooden dowel of dark oak. He struck the side of the silver bowl three times. He did this four times, once in each of the four compass point directions; north, east, south and west. When he completed the circle, he rang the bowl three times again, then ran the dowel around the edge, drawing out the sound of the rings.

All while Wade had been working with the "bell", Mark had been chanting in his deep voice. He chanted in ancient Latin and his voice rose and fell with the tone of the rings of the bowl. Wade eventually joined in the chant.

The silver bowl and dowel seemed to vanish from Wade's hands. The Wizard began to rub his hands together. It took a moment, but soon sparks flew from his hands. It always reminded Adam of a flint being struck. With a final scrub of his hands, Wade suddenly held a clear, bluish flame in his left hand. Hunter was always amazed, Wade's hand never burned.

Wade reached into a leather pouch he wore on the silver chain belt of his robe. He took a handful of the sacred salt and sprinkled it over the flames. The crystals of salt burst into colors as they hit the flame. The chanting of the two men harmonized into a dual tone. It grew in intensity as Wade sprinkled more salt over his hand.

When he'd burned two handfuls of salt, Wade reached into another pouch on his belt. He pulled out a neatly tied and trimmed bundle of sage. He stuck the tips of the sage into the flames. Thick, acrid, herbal smelling smoke wafted into the air.

Once the sage was smoking fully, he stood before each person in the group. He held the sage over their head then he waved the smoke all the way down to their feet. He chanted over each person. When he got to Mary, he knelt down. He nearly made her vanish in the thick smoke. She held tight to her mother's hand. She was brave and stood very still for Wade.

With a final circle of sage smoke around the entire group, Wade and Mark brought their chant to a harmonized end. With a wave of his right hand, the flames in Wade's left hand went out, and the last of the smoke curled and vanished like a ghostly snake. The room seemed to hold a magical charge.

Both Mark and Wade lowered their hoods. "We are all now protected. We did find it, and I was right. It's not a demon, which in one way is good. However, it _is_ a trickster. A trickster is a form of demon. It's not intrinsically evil, but it can _do_ evil things. Missus Wilson, may I please ask Miss Mary a few questions?" Mark's deep voice was soft as he spoke. He knew, because of his size, tattoos and long haired appearance, children were often afraid of him. Mark hated that because he adored children.

Shelly smiled. She knelt down to her daughter. "Mary, this nice man wants to talk to you. You be mommy's brave girl. Hold on to the bear Mister Seth is letting you borrow." She placed Mary's free hand in Mark's.

Adam, in the mean time spoke low to the group. "Seth and Shawn in the command center. The rest of you, start investigating. Chris go with Dean to the kitchen and dining room. Roman, I want to stay and listen to what she says. Get it all on the FLIR. Jason and Heath, the upstairs. Hunter go with Wade to the basement. I'll send Mark down when he's finished here." Adam gave his instructions with authority. On an investigation, Adam was always the boss. No one objected, as the psychic, it was his duty.

Everyone took out their investigation equipment and gave them a quick test, then went to their assigned areas. Mark had sat down, cross legged on the floor with Mary and Shelly. Adam sat on the soft and Roman trained the FLIR camera on Mark and Mary.

Mark toyed with the blue silk ribbon, tied in a bow around the teddy bears neck. "Mary, how long after you and mommy moved into this house was it when you first knew there was a monster in the closet?" He spoke softly but like an adult, he hated when people talked to children like they were idiots.

Mary twisted her lip in thought. "Maybe... five nights?" She replied after a bit. Mark noticed that Shelly nodded in agreement.

"Were you scared? Because it's a new house?" Mark asked the next question.

"Yeah. I liked our old house. Daddy kept the monsters away. Now we live here, but daddy can't scare the monsters away." A lone tear ran down her little cheek. She hugged the bear close.

Shelly spoke up. "Pete died... suddenly. He was working in the corn and... fell over... heart attack... had to move... no job... farm... bankrupt... Mary and her daddy were so close..." Shelly wiped her eyes with her hands. Adam reached over and caressed her shoulder.

"I'm sorry about your daddy. Well maybe we can be like daddy and scare the monster away. Would you like that?" Mark asked as he gently brushed a few stray strands of Mary's brown hair from her eyes.

Mary sniffed and looked at Mark with huge, sad, chocolate brown eyes. "Can you? Daddy was the bestest at keeping the monsters away."

Mark hugged the little girl to him. The wool robe felt soft and cuddly against her. Mark felt Mary relax. "We can try sweetheart. Now, I want you to stay here with mommy and the teddy bear. We're going to go upstairs and see about that monster..." Mark was halted when when the ear bud of his two-way radio crackled.

Adam's ear bud also crackled. "We're getting noises in the closet. Sounded like hangers moving." Seth's voice echoed in the ears of all the team members. He'd picked up the sounds in the closet while monitoring in the mobile command post.

Adam didn't want to alarm Shelly or Mary. "Chris, Dean!" he called out to his teammates. The two men left their investigation of the kitchen-dining room area and came into the living room.

"Please, stay in here with Mary and Shelly. We're going upstairs." Adam spoke to Dean and Chris with a nod to the mother and her daughter.

"Keep a camera on her and the bear." Roman whispered quietly to Dean and Chris. Chris nodded and focused his camera on the little girl. Dean sat next to Shelly as she moved to the couch.

On the way up the stairs, Adam spoke quietly. "I'm going to ask grandmother to find the father. I think Mary brought the trickster. She manifested it out of grief. Maybe if there was a monster in the closet, daddy would come back and get rid of it. The trickster was just looking for an opportunity and Mary created one." By the time he'd explained his theory, they were up in Mary's bedroom.

Mark looked at Adam. "Son, that's brilliant. I'm willing to bet that's exactly what happened. Let's see if Chris can get Mary to talk about it"

"Good idea. Go down and tell him. Roman, give me a few minutes to talk to grandmother." he sat on Mary's bed and picked up the picture on the little girl's bedside table. It was a picture of a man holding a baby. The frame said 'Daddy's Little Girl'. Holding the picture would help his grandmother find the father's spirit.

Mark went downstairs to privately talk to Chris. Roman stood silent, in the corner of the room. He held the FLIR camera as he focused on his beautiful husband.

Adam took several deep breaths and closed his eyes. _"Grandmother? Are you there?"_ He mentally called out.

Roman saw the rainbow aura come into focus as he watched through the camera. He turned to the closet door. He could hear faint scratching sounds. Roman moved so he could get both Adam and the door into the frame of his thermal imaging camera.

Adam called out a few more times. He finally heard his grandmother's voice. _"I'm here, little Addy. I'm sorry, I was with your mother. She's fine, just a bit seasick. The ship hit a storm. I wanted to comfort her. The storm has passed now, and she will be alright. Show me his picture, my love."_ His grandmother's ghostly voice was a little breathy. She's had to come thousands of miles to answer her grandson's urgent calls. Even ghosts got tired.

" _You're sure ma's alright?"_ Adam asked with a furrowed brow.

" _Yes Addy. Now, concentrate, show me his picture. This little girl needs help."_ His grandmother's voice was firm now. It was almost like a mental smack upside his head.

Adam opened his eyes and stared at the picture in his hands. He sent the mental image of Peter Wilson to his grandmother. The harder he concentrated, the louder the scratching in the closet became. There was also the occasional growl. Roman kept steady with his camera.

Mark came back upstairs. He quietly entered the room. He immediately heard the noises behind the closet door. Mark could only imagine that Adam was in conversation with the spirit world.

The still robed Demonologist indicated to Roman that he was going to deal with the trickster behind the door. Roman nodded in approval.

Mark reached into one of the pouches on his own silver chain belt. He grabbed a handful of black salt. While white salt formed a barrier of protection, black salt could be used to banish spirits.

On the bed, Adam sat up a bit straighter, his grandmother had returned. She had the spirit of Peter Wilson with her. Adam could sense that Mary's father was deeply troubled about his daughter.

" _Mister Wilson, I'm sure you must be confused and troubled. I am a living soul that can talk to spirits who have crossed over. My name is Adam Reigns. The lady that brought you to me is my grandmother, my guide to the spirit realm. I've brought you here because your daughter, Mary is in need of your help."_ he paused to let his words sink in. Sometimes spirits could be just as skeptical as living souls.

Meanwhile, at the door of the closet, Mark was doing battle with the trickster. The trickster was trying to distract Mark from his purpose. Mark nearly fell to his knees. The trickster had put images of Wade, laying broken, raped, bleeding and crying in the corn field. The image of Wade was crying out for Mark to help him. Mark stumbled and he had to put a hand on the wall to keep from falling.

Over his ear bud, Roman heard Seth call Wade. _"Wade, Mark is in trouble. You and Hunter better get upstairs. Go easy though, Adam is in communication."_ Seth ended the radio call.

The new mobile command center was working great. There had been a few minor glitches, but Seth had been able to quickly fix them. It was great to be in communication visually, real time, with the entire team. That way when something happened, like now with Mark, help could be sent immediately. Before, there had always been a bit of delay between the images on the computer and what was really happening. Now that the connections were better, a more stable environment "real time" was possible.

Wade and Hunter immediately left the basement and went up the stairs to Mary's room. They entered quietly as not to disturb Adam. Roman had set the FLIR camera on a desk so that his picture of Adam and the closet remained on the screen. The Doctor of Parapsychology had gone to the Demonologist's aid.

Adam had, as usual removed his ear bud, so his communication with the spirit world wouldn't be interrupted. He was so concentrated on his psychic conversation with Pete, that he was unaware of the near chaos in the room. Adam continued his telepathic visit.

The spirit of Peter Wilson responded to Adam. _"Yes, I understand. My mother was a medium, but I never told Shelly. Mary may have some abilities. I think those were the monsters she always fretted about. I always asked my mom to protect her. Mom and I are together now. I should have kept a better watch over my little lamb. It's my fault she's in trouble now. Adam, I'm a horrible father. I just... I thought... can I help her?"_ The spirit sounded so sad and despondent.

Adam closed his eyes tighter. _"It's alright, Peter. If no one was able to guide you, you wouldn't have known Mary was in trouble. Just because you're a spirit, doesn't mean you know everything. My grandmother will help you. Yes, you can help Mary now. Use my energy, talk to her, she's downstairs. Tell her the monster is gone and that no more monsters will bother her. Tell her you will always watch over her, even though she can't see you. Her heart will always hear you. Go, I'll give you my energy. Grandmother, show him how, please."_ Adam spoke to Peter firmly, then in a pleading tone to his grandmother.

" _Don't worry, little Addy. I'll show him what to do. Later I'll explain things to Peter and his mother. We have rules on this side too. He's taking your energy, but, remember, don't let him drain you. I'm taking him to Mary now. Your friends are fighting the trickster, but keep your concentration on Peter. I'll come back when we're done. Hold fast my dear, dear little Addy."_ Adam's grandmother spoke with admiration and pride. Her little Addy worked so hard to help others.

All the time Adam had been speaking to his grandmother and Peter, the others had been working to banish the terrible trickster from the house.

When Wade and Hunter arrived in the bedroom, Roman was helping Mark to regain his feet. "Damn thing got into my head. Wade, it's using images of you... when..." He hesitated to tell Wade about the horrible pictures the trickster had put in his head. Mark hoped Wade understood what he was trying to say.

"It's alright, Mark. I Understand. We need to open the door. I'll light the sage, you get ready with the black salt. Roman, you and Hunter open the door on my word...open it and get out of the way quickly." Wade spoke in a whisper, but his orders were loud and clear.

Roman and Hunter nodded. Mark grabbed another handful of black salt. Wade took out another bundle of sage. He snapped the fingers of his left hand and created enough of a spark to light the sage.

Hunter was, as usual, utterly fascinated. He'd done hundreds of medical tests on Wade's left hand. Nothing unusual ever showed up, but somehow, they sparked like flint. Wade also swore it was not a magician's trick. He was a Wizard, and would never, ever stoop to parlor tricks.

When the bundle of sage was fully lit and smoking, the Wizard nodded. Everyone flew into action. Hunter threw the door open, Roman grabbed it to keep it from being shut again by the trickster.

Wade thrust the bundle of sage into the closet at the same time Mark threw the handful of black salt into the airy space. For a closet, it was almost the size of a small room. Mark and Wade spoke at the same time.

"Be gone foul spirit. You are banished from this place, forever..." Wade waved the smoky bundle again as Mark threw in more salt. They repeated the chant. The Wizard and Demonologist repeated their actions for a third time. A faint and distant growl was heard. It grew fainter and fainter. With one last authoritative tone they repeated the banishment one last time.

They spoke again in chanted chorus. "Be gone, stay gone! You are not welcome here Be gone, stay gone! You are not welcome here..." the words were spoken one last time. Wade sprinkled white salt in all four corners of the spacious closet.

When Mark and Wade came out of the closet, they saw that both Hunter and Roman were pale, trembling and their brows were covered with sweat.

"Adam... dead... bloody... so... broken..." Roman was on the verge of throwing up as he recalled the gruesome image of Adam, smashed under a semi-truck in a horrible accident. Adam had been riding his bicycle when the eighteen wheeler ran him down.

Hunter was just as ill. "Yeah... Shawn... shot... while... preaching... blew his... brains out... oh God!" his held in tears finally fell. No one could recall the last time they'd seen Hunter cry.

Mark and Wade both went to their friends and fellow ghost hunters. "It's not real. It showed me... Wade... in the … cornfield... after... but look, Wade is right here. Look Roman, see Adam is fine. He's right there," he pointed to the psychic sitting on the bed.

Shawn's voice crackled into their ear pieces. "I'm here, Hunt darlin'. Listen to Mark. It wasn't real. I'm alive and not hurt." He tried to reassure his spouse as best he could over a two-way.

"Thank God. Love you, sexy boy." Hunter replied in a hoarse whisper, not caring who heard him.

"Love you. Now get back to work." Shawn said with a bit of a laugh. Well, his secret nickname was out now. Shawn just hoped Jason would let it go.

Adam was still totally oblivious to the actions of his husband and other teammates in the room. He was sending his energy to the spirit of Peter Wilson. He had to be cautious in sharing his energy. If he let the spirit have too much, it could weaken him to the point of unconsciousness. There was one known case of an actual death. The medium had lost so much of his energy, it stopped his heart and he died before help could arrive.

Mark, Wade, Hunter and Roman turned their attention to Adam. They could tell he was in deep concentration. Roman was instantly on alert. He knew if Adam was sharing energy, his beloved Viking could be in grave danger.

"Hunter, please..." Roman spoke to the Physician in a frantic whisper. He wanted Hunter to monitor Adam.

Hunter nodded. He knew exactly why Roman was so concerned. It wasn't the first time Adam had been like this. He opened his medical bag. He took out a small portable device that Seth had put together. It worked so well, Hunter used it on his regular patients.

Without disturbing Adam, Hunter put the slap band style bracelet around Adam's left wrist. Seth had modified a sports watch that monitored heart rate and blood pressure. He attached it to a slap band that he wired to an old tablet computer. Hunter could take accurate readings of Adam's vital statistics.

Adam was only vaguely aware that something had been placed around his wrist. His grandmother was back. _"You can stop now, Adam. Peter has spoken to Mary, through that teddy bear she was holding. She knows the monster is gone and that her father won't let any more come to scare her. I felt Mary out. She's not a sensitive, empath or psychic. She is just a little girl who loved her daddy."_ his grandmother reached out and gently stroked her grandson's face.

Adam leaned into the invisible touch. He missed the actual feel of it. _"Thank you for your help, grandma. I couldn't do any of this without you. I love you so very much. At least I have the comfort of knowing loved ones never truly leave us."_ Adam relaxed and ceased giving his energy to Mary's father.

Just as Adam let go, Peter came back into the spiritual conversation. _"I wanted to thank you, Adam. Mary will be safe and your grandmother is going to teach me what to do. Thank you, both of you."_ The spirit of Peter Wilson was much calmer now.

Adam smiled. _"I'm glad I was able to help. I know it's just as hard for you, as it is it for your wife and daughter. What people don't understand is the only difference between our side and your side is the corporeal body. All your feelings are the same. I wish you luck, Peter. As you know Grandmother has promised to help you, listen to her, and you will learn from the best."_ He could tell he was losing the connection to the spirit world. Adam's mind was spent.

Adam and his grandmother said their goodbyes. When he knew she was gone, he felt so drained he collapsed on the bed. Roman rushed to his husband's side.

Hunter checked the device he held in his hand. Adam's blood pressure was fine, but his heart rate was a bit erratic. It was a fairly normal reading after Adam had been in deep communication. He removed the slap band from Adam's wrist.

"Adam, baby?" Roman asked softly as he sat on the bed and pulled his exhausted husband into his arms.

Adam opened his eyes and saw his beloved Islander. "Hey.. babe. Is it gone? Is Mary alright?" He asked in a weak, tired sounding voice. He blinked his hazel eyes slowly.

Roman nodded. "Mark and Wade banished the trickster. They salted and saged the closet so nothing can return. I'm sure Mary is fine. We haven't been back downstairs yet. Everything just now ended. When you've rested a bit, we'll go down. Here eat this." He took a small energy bar out of his equipment pack and handed it to Adam.

Adam smiled and took the bar. Roman held him close while Adam chewed down the bar. "Thanks, Islander. That poor man. He felt so bad he hadn't realized Mary was in trouble. Grandma is going to help him learn to know when Mary thinks about him. His mother was a medium, but Grandma says Mary doesn't have any gifts. She was just so lonely for her dad. Pretty much like I guessed. Wade, Mark, Hunter... thank you. We'd better get downstairs." Adam gave Roman a soft kiss. He felt much better.

When the five men got downstairs, the living room was filled with excited team members. Shawn and Seth had come in from the command center. Shelly was on the couch wrapped in Shawn's arms. Heath and Jason had taken Mary out to the kitchen for some milk and cookies. They didn't want her upset by anything else. She'd been through enough.

Seth was wide eyed with excitement. "She was talking to the bear. It was even better than the pirate ship! I'm sure we got both sides of the conversation. Roman got some fantastic stuff on the FLIR! If it wasn't so late, I'd start the analysis now. We'll be over in the morning. I'm going to start the break down." Seth gave Adam a huge smile. He then called for everyone not busy to break down the equipment.

Adam took Shawn's place on the couch. "Shelly, are you alright?" he asked in a soft, concerned voice.

Shelly nodded, but Adam could see she was trembling. "Peter... I know he was here. I know he spoke to Mary. Is it gone, the thing in the closet?" She looked at Adam with hope in her eyes.

"Yes, it's gone and it won't be back. I need you to listen to Wade. You must promise to do as he tells you." Adam looked the young mother in the eye. Adam then motioned for Wade to join them on the couch.

Wade, still in his white robe, sat on the couch with Shelly and Adam. "It won't be back. However, it never hurts to stay protected. Note the first day of the month on your calendar. I want you to pour a line of white salt around the property. I also want you to sprinkle the salt in each corner of the closet. Let Mary help you, then she will know she's safe." Wade spoke frankly. He always gave the advice, but it was up to the clients to follow through.

"I'll do it. Just regular white table salt?" Shelly asked with determination on her face. If all it took was to pour out some salt to keep Mary safe, she'd do it.

"Yes, plain table salt. If you ever have any questions, you know how to reach us. We will always be here for you." Wade responded with a smile. He believed this time the client would actually listen to his advice and take it. He wasn't always sure about it.

"Thank you, oh thank you. That sounds so... worthless after all you've done for Mary and I. But, it's from my heart and soul." Shelly gave both Adam and Wade hugs. Adam was used to it, but Wade was not and flushed a bit.

The College Hill Ghost Hunters finished packing up. Final farewells were said. Everyone smiled, Mary was already deeply and peacefully asleep in her mother's arms.

The group made it to Dog N' Suds just before they closed at two am. The group ate even more than usual. It had been that kind of case.

Seth was so excited as he ate. He simply couldn't wait to analyze the data, especially from the teddy bear.

What would they find? Would they hear the voice of Mary's father, Peter Wilson, or would they come up with nothing but static silence.

Seth would find out... in the morning.


	9. Mary's Aftermath

Seth woke up at seven. He couldn't wait to get over to Olive Street and start working on the evidence from last nights Wilson case. He just knew it would be some of their best data yet.

"You do know if you wake Adam up, he'll whine, pout and make us miserable. The data isn't going anywhere. Try to get some more sleep." Dean gave a yawn and a stretch of his muscular body.

Seth sighed. "You're right. I love Adam but, when he's bitchy he is miserable. But Dean, I'm too excited to sleep." He pouted and sighed with great drama.

Dean brushed his auburn bangs from his forehead and rolled his eyes. Well, he had to put on good show of being annoyed, didn't he? "Aright Seth. We can fuck if you want to." he gave Seth a sly wink.

Seth growled. "You're so... mean to me. Now do it Dean, please just do it!" And do it they did. So much so, that after, they were totally spent, covered in cum and sweat. They went back to sleep until nearly noon.

When Dean and Seth arrived at the Olive Street house, Bray, Roman, Adam, Chris and Evan were in the basement. They had been working on Evan's training.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt. Do you want us to come back later?" Seth was being honest. Anxious as he was to analyze the data, he knew Evan's empathic control training was more important.

Bray shook his head. "No, No, Evan could use the break. I've heard about last night. I want to see the data. So go ahead. Evan why don't you take a walk and get some fresh air." He gave Evan a worried glance.

Evan's training had gone well, but he'd gone at it hard and was mentally drained. "I'd like that. I love Seerly Park, but... I'm afraid to go alone. I don't think Brock cares anymore, but... still." He gently fingered the bandage on his forehead.

"You won't be going alone. Come on, I think the ice-cream truck is there. You deserve a double scoop cone!" Chris gave Evan a soft smile as he spoke.

The others grinned at each other as they watched Chris and Evan leave for their walk. Bray rubbed his beard. "Said it before, but those two belong together. They need each other..." He sounded a tad wistful. Chris would always have a bit of his heart, but Luke and Erick _owned_ his heart.

Roman gave his supervisor a pat on the back, he understood. Roman often lent Bray an ear to talk about Chris, Luke and Erick. Bray flashed Roman an appreciative smile.

Seth had started to set up for the data analysis. "I want to do this the normal way. So Roman, you do static cameras, Adam FLIR. Dean and I will do audio and Bray, you get the bear. Remember, just time stamps and hold comments till the switch. Read?" Seth asked as he plugged a head set in for Bray.

"Gee, it's been a long time. I write down the time stamp when I get something right?" Bray asked brow arched. He used to help, when the CHGH had first begun, but that was a while ago.

Seth nodded. "Exactly, and don't comment on anything. Remember, we don't want anyone to matrix anything." He pointed to the clip board in front of Bray.

Wyatt put on his headset and gave a thumbs up. He knew was an honor to have been given this set of data to analyze and he wanted to do it right. It would look foolish if the head of the Department of Paranormal Studies missed a piece of data!

With a few strokes of his fingers over the master computer's keyboard, Seth started the data. Everyone went still and quiet. The concentration level was extreme.

Meanwhile, Chris and Evan had walked the two blocks to the lovely park on Seerly Boulevard. They waved to Shawn who was changing the sign in front of the church.

Every week, Shawn put the topic of the upcoming Sunday's sermon up on the sign. The frame of the sign was set in a large rock. Glass covered the black background, and white plastic letters of various sizes slid into the slats that made up the background. Church and Sunday School times, the sermon title and a Bible verse along with Shawn's name and phone number were on the sign.

Shawn had also planted a beautiful flower garden around the large rock. Tending the garden was his time of meditation. Many sermons had been written while Shawn was among his flowers.

Hunter kept the lawn neat and trimmed. He insisted on doing the work himself. It gave him a chance to relax and forget about the stress of the hospital and his private practice. Their own lawn and the church lawn were considered the most beautiful on College Hill.

Shawn smiled as he slid a "B" into place. He really hoped Chris and Evan would become a couple Yes, there was an age difference, but Evan was very mature for his age and Chris was just an adult "kid". They were perfect for each other. Shawn then concentrated on his task at hand.

"I love this park. A peaceful respite in the middle of the bustle of the Hill and University..." Chris felt stupid, he couldn't think of anything to say. What he really wanted to do was simply kiss Evan.

"Um... yeah.. it is. Looks like we missed the ice cream truck. Well, I didn't need it anyway." Evan laughed and gave his perfectly flat stomach a rub.

Chris chuckled. "Not an ounce of fat on you. I'm the one that doesn't need it." He quipped in return.

The reached a bench on the northern end of the park. It was a beautiful late summer nearly fall day. The cloudless sky looked like a blue crystal. The sun was soft and warm. The ancient oak and elm trees had the first signs of their upcoming change of color.

Evan very tentatively reached over and laid his hand on Chris' thigh. Chris gently laid his hand on top of Evan's. The contact was comforting to both men.

"So, the little girl is alright?" Evan asked about last night. He hoped there would be a time when he could join the College Hill Ghost Hunters.

Chris slightly tightened the pressure of his hand over Evan's and stroked the back of Evan's hand with his thumb. "She will be fine. I'm curious to know if the father's voice will be picked up on the audio..." He looked directly into Evan's beautiful eyes as his voice faded. Sadly, Evan's left eye was still swollen shut.

Under Chris' intent gaze, Evan suddenly felt self conscious about his bruised and battered face. He turned his head away and shielded his face with his free hand.

Chris gently lowered Evan's hand. "Don't, baby. You're beautiful. The bruises will go away. I'm only sorry you had to suffer so. You're too precious to be harmed. I would never hurt you, I hope you know that." He leaned over to whisper in Evan's ear.

Chris' breath was warm against his skin. The words and feeling of them made Evan tremble. Evan felt so safe with Chris. He flushed as he turned his head to look at the older man. "I know that, Chris. I trust you. Maybe I shouldn't trust so much after what happened, but I do..." Evan paused. He couldn't stand it any longer.

"Christopher, kiss me... oh please... just kiss me." Evan's words barely found air, but Chris heard him, as if Evan had shouted at the top of his lungs

Without a word, Chris gently took Evan's face in his hands and pressed his lips to Evan's. They were instantly the most wonderful pair of lips his had ever touched. Chris felt Evan melt against him. The couple turned a bit to get even closer. Chris increased the pressure of the kiss. Evan's hands went to Chris' hips and rested there. He submitted to Chris totally and without fear.

Evan moaned slightly as Chris' tongue asked for entrance with a probing lick. Evan complied and let Chris' tongue invade his mouth. Chris let out his own soft moan as his tongue slid into the warm silkiness of Evan's sweet mouth. Evan's taste became the thing Chris knew he would crave for the rest of his life, in this world and the next.

The couple lost all sense of the world around them. Nothing existed for them except each other. Evan's arms slid around Chris' waist as he was pulled in closer. Chris' arms went around Evan's lithe, trim body. Their bodies fit against each other perfectly, like each had been made just for the other.

As their first kiss broke, Chris and Evan both knew they would never forget this moment, as long as they lived. As their lips reluctantly parted, their foreheads gently pressed together. Chris felt the bandage against his skin, he immediately pulled back. He was afraid he'd hurt the stitched skin.

"I'm sorry, baby. I didn't hurt your stitches did I?" Chris asked with a soft stroke of his hand against Evan's cheek.

Evan smiled and nuzzled into Chris' touch. "No, babe, you didn't. I wouldn't have cared. Oh Chris, that was wonderful, thank you." He flushed, unsure of what to say or do next. He didn't care that Chris was older, he just didn't want to be... childish.

Chris gave a soft growl. "You're mine now. You know that, don't you? I still want to go slow, really get to know you, but you're mine. I could easily fall in love with you, baby." He pulled Evan into a deep embrace, careful to be gentle with the bruised body in his arms.

Evan nodded, the unbruised side of his face scrubbed against Chris' shirt. He wanted to bathe in Chris' comforting scent. "And you belong to me... or.. do you? I mean... I know you and Doctor Wyatt... I won't... stand in the way. I won't share though, Chris, not again. I don't mean to push, but can you understand?" His joy had been replaced by uncertainty. He didn't want another relationship like he had with Brock.

Chris pulled Evan back into his embrace. "I told you, Bray isn't part of this anymore. You have me, if you really want a slightly used, pudgy, forty year old Doctor of Philosophy in History for a... a.. boyfriend." His warm breath ruffled the hairs on top of Evan's head.

Evan giggled. "You're not used and you are not pudgy. Boyfriend... sounds... like high school, but until lover comes along, yes, I want you for a boyfriend. Are... are we keeping it a secret?" he pulled away enough to look his new boyfriend in the eyes.

Chris gave a sigh. "From the group, no. We will have to keep it secret on campus till next semester, that I can't change. I have my tenure, but I don't want to risk either of us being accused of immoral conduct between student and faculty. Heyman is so... pompous... most Universities don't have student-faculty dating rules. Most realize that by college, people are consenting adults. However, there are some that would accuse someone of sleeping with a Professor for grades. Anyway, we'll have the semester to get to know each other, like we talked about. And Evan, I won't push for sex. We aren't anywhere near ready for that. Kissing is fine though, so right now, I'm going to kiss you...again and again." He stopped talking and pulled Evan in for a long, deep kiss.

In the basement of the Olive Street house, the analysis of the Wilson investigation was still on going. Bray was nearly beside himself with excitement. He'd filled two pages with time stamps and was only half way done with the data set.

Adam too, was excited. The FLIR footage, while not the most exciting, was very interesting. He too had made several notes.

No one heard when Heath came down the stairs. He finally managed to call for a break in the session. "Hey guys, I knew you'd be hard at it, so I put a crock pot of soup on this morning. It's ready, if you want to come up and eat. Jason will be home shortly. I'm done working, but he has to go back on duty." Heath went back toward the stairs.

Seth paused the master computer. "Let's go eat. I'm starving." he took off his headset and stood with a huge stretch of his body.

Roman, Adam, Bray, Dean and Seth were half way up the stairs when Chris and Evan came in the back door of the basement.

"Heath has lunch ready, come on up." Adam said over his shoulder. He yelped when Roman smacked his ass to move him on up the stairs, the Islander was hungry and not for Adam, at least not now.

Chris led Evan by the hand upstairs to the Reso's kitchen. The smell of homemade vegetable soup filled the air. Heath was taking a pan of cornbread out of the oven as the group settled around the table. Jason came in and kissed Heath, then exchanged greetings with his friends.

It felt strange without the Helmsleys, Mark and Wade, but they still had to work. They didn't have a weeks vacation after tests. Shawn and Hunter had their regular work, and the week's break of classes gave the guys like Mark and Wade a chance to work without students and faculty under foot.

Wade worked on the maintenance staff as well, but in a different department from Mark. Wade was one of four supervisors in the University motor pool. He helped with keeping all the vehicles used by NIU running safely. Wade's twenty man crew were in charge of any vehicle used by the Athletic Department. Wade worked on everything from the fleet of coaches the teams used, to the machine that laid the white lines on the football and baseball fields.

Jason took off his weapon belt and hung it on the back of his chair, along with his cap. When he was settled in, he said grace. A chorus of "amen" ended the prayer.

Heath dished up bowls of soup and Adam started the plate of cornbread as he took a piece then handed the plate to Roman. Jason was bursting to speak and when he couldn't hold it in any longer, he blurted out his news. He just couldn't help it.

"I had an interesting morning. I was doing my usual patrol, when I saw something very interesting. Um... Chris, Evan so... that was you I saw in the park, kissing like newlyweds wasn't it?" his voice was full of mirth and his eyes sparkled with a laughing gleam.

Heath reached over and smacked Jason up side the head; hard. "William Jason Reso! That was just rude. Honestly, what you consider humorous sometimes. ARGH!" Heath was truly upset and embarrassed by his husband's words.

Jason hung his head. "I'm sorry. I forget, Evan isn't used to my sense of humor. Evan, I didn't mean to embarrass you, or you either, Chris. Forgive me?" He was contrite and kept his head down in shame.

Chris took Evan's hand and kissed it. "Nothing wrong with kissing your boyfriend on a park bench is there? The only thing, until the end of the semester, this has to stay between us. Guess that does mean no more kisses on a park bench." He leaned over and gave Evan a gentle kiss on the lips.

Everyone broke out in congratulations at once. "I'm happy for you both. Chris, you deserve this; to be happy. Evan, you deserve to be safe and appreciated. To the new couple!" Bray raised his glass of iced tea in a toast. The others followed suit. Jason was forgiven.

Lunch was happy as each man privately congratulated Chris and Evan. They managed to avoid discussing the data on purpose. It was so important not to cross contaminate their findings.

The nine men ate the whole crock pot of soup. It made Heath happy to know everyone liked it. They should, his mother Carol, was the Home Economics teacher at Cedar Falls High School, or she was. She had taken a year's sabbatical in order to go on the cruise with Judy.

When lunch was finished, Evan stayed upstairs to help Heath do the dishes. Chris went down to help with the data analysis.

"Evan, I'm sorry about Jason. He is a sweetheart, but sometimes he gets a bit carried away. He really didn't mean to embarrass you, or Chris." Heath expounded as he dried the bowl Evan had just washed.

Evan swished the next bowl in the soapy water and scrubbed it clean. "It's alright, Heath. I know he was just teasing. It's nice to have a close group of friends. I've always wanted brothers. I just hope I am part of the group." He spoke with hesitation and hoped he wasn't being presumptive.

Heath draped an arm over Evan's shoulder. "Of course you're one of us. I'm sorry about the reason you came to us, but I'm glad you're here. How are you? Does it hurt? I can finish up, you should rest." Heath felt Evan's forehead. He thought Evan looked a bit pale.

"I'm alright, it itches more than hurts. Wish I could open my eye. I'll go up and nap when we finish. I'm worn out trying to keep my empathic door locked. It's hard to do constantly." Evan sighed. He was mentally exhausted, all the time he'd been with Chris and then having lunch it has been easier. Now, he could feel the locks trying to break open.

Heath looked at Evan with a firm glare. "Go lay down. I'll tell Chris you're being a bad boy if you don't. Trust me, there will always be dishes to help with. Now, go!" He emphasized the last two words with snaps of the dish towel to Evan's butt.

Evan laughed and gave Heath a big hug. He want up the more narrow stairs that led up from the Reso's kitchen to the second floor. Evan felt like a part of a large family and he loved it. Like Adam, he'd been so lonely growing up because of his "gift".

Evan pulled off his jeans and took off the flannel shirt he wore over his t-shirt. He pulled on his blue cotton pajama bottoms. Bray had gone to Evan's dorm room and packed up his clothes and personal belongings. It was much better and comfortable to have his own clothes.

Evan lowered the blinds to darken the room. As he slipped into the king sized bed, he sighed happily. Everything had happened so fast, but it didn't matter, he had been instantly accepted. Evan tightly secured the locks on his mental, empathic door, and thought back to his first kiss with Chris Jericho; his boyfriend. Evan drifted off into a deep and restful sleep.

Heath quickly finished up the dishes. Before he went downstairs to the basement, he quickly put together a meatloaf he would later bake for supper. Jason loved meat loaf and Heath figured he owed Jason a favorite meal, to make up for being snippy with him at lunch. When he finished, he went down to join the others.

Chris immediately noticed Evan wasn't with Heath. Heath smiled when he saw the worried look on the history professor's face. He leaned over and picked up Chris' pen, and wrote on note.

" _He's fine. I sent him up for a nap. He looked tired and a bit pale. He isn't well yet, Chris. He's been through a lot. Let him sleep."_

Chris smiled and picked up the pen and wrote a reply. _"Thanks, Heath. Don't be too hard on Jay, he didn't mean any harm. Love you guys."_

Heath gave a thumbs up and went to tend to some paper work about the trip to Ireland. He was responsible for all their hotel bookings, rental vehicles, passports and getting the proper paperwork done in order to get the carnets they needed for their equipment.

A carnet was required for each piece of their investigation equipment. It all had to do with customs. It proved they owned the goods so they didn't have to pay taxes on it again. It was all stuff Heath was learning about. Putting together an overseas investigation wasn't just getting on a plane.

Heath had also decided he'd better get a ticket for Evan. He was fairly sure the young man would be included on the trip. He also decided not to tell anyone, just in case the flight was full. Heath didn't want to have to disappoint Evan so, until things were set, no one would know.

One lucky thing, they would have the use of a mobile command center, very much like their new one. Seth had been in contact with a friend from college, Sheamus Farrelly. The Irishman was also part of a ghost hunting group.

Sheamus and Seth had worked on the plans for a mobile command center since their college days. Back then, it had all been a dream, now with advances in technology, it was a reality. Sheamus and his group were looking forward to meeting and working with the College Hill Ghost Hunters.

Finally in the late afternoon, the data from the Wilson case had been through its first analysis. Now, Seth worked to play the data again for the group to review, after switching data sets around. Heath had gone back upstairs to fix dinner.

Everyone else took a break. Now they waited for the Helmsley's, along with Mark and Wade to join them. Seth and Dean went to check on The Lunatic Fringe. Bray went home to call his boys. Adam and Roman went up to their apartment and Chris went to check on Evan. They would all meet again downstairs at seven.

Chris quietly entered the second floor guest room. Evan was a small lump in the middle of the big bed. Chris sat on the edge of the bed and gently ran his knuckles over Evan's unbruised cheek. "Hey beautiful, you'd better wake up now. We've been invited to have dinner with Adam and Roman." He leaned over and kissed Evan's cheek.

Evan let out an adorable mewl as he stretched and began to awaken. His eyes fluttered open, his blackened eye tried to open but was still too swollen. Evan smiled when he saw it was Chris.

"Hey, new boyfriend. Wow, I slept hard. Guess I was more exhausted than I realized. What's going on?" Evan yawned and stretched his young, lithe body again.

"We've done the first analysis. At seven, we're all meeting to do the group review and discussion. Adam and Roman have invited us to dinner; burgers, baked beans and potato salad. So get up and get dressed. I'll wait for you outside." Chris whispered softly. He leaned in and kissed Evan's lips softly.

Evan grinned. "Okay. Won't be a minute. It was nice of Doctor Wyatt to bring my clothes this morning. See you shortly." He sat up and gave Chris a kiss. It was nice to finally be able to kiss the handsome man almost any time he wanted, especially after having such a long held in crush on the man.

Everyone had their dinner. Hunter, Shawn, Mark and Wade had joined the group. Everyone was seated in the basement, around the big monitor. Clipboard and pens were at the ready. Seth explained the rules to Evan.

When the teddy bear footage came on the screen it was a sense of déjá vu with the pirate ship footage. Pens rapidly scratched across paper, so much so it sounded like a orchestrated concert.

Seth switched off the computer. "No need for the board, let's just go over everything." He was anxious to hear what they all had to say.

"We actually got Peter talking to Mary! That's incredible! Why oh why can it only be heard on a recorder? He was speaking to her like he was sitting there, alive and well. Why can't we hear him in the room?" Bray was excited about the great audio data. As a scientist he was frustrated, how could they ever prove ghosts were real?

Adam rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Why can I talk to them? Why does Evan pick up on the thoughts of others? Seth, the adjustments were great, a lot less static this time. Play it again, please?" He requested, brow raised. He understood Bray's frustration, Roman often felt the same.

Seth cued up the data to where, through the teddy bear, Peter talked to Mary. He pushed play. At first there was no reaction, the the bears eyes lit up. It was a friendly blue shade of light. Seth had thought red would be too frightening. The bears arms began to wave, and a sweet giggle came from its mouth.

In the video, Mary laughed at the bears antics. Then a distant male voice became audible. _"Mary... sweet pea... it's daddy... I'm sorry... left... you... I'm... with... you... now..."_ The voice became more crisp and clear as the recording went on.

On the screen, Mary clutched the teddy bear in her arms. _"Daddy... monster... make it go..."_ It wasn't exactly clear if she was responding to the ghostly voice or the situation in general, hoping somehow her daddy would come help her.

The ghostly voice continued. _"I'll make... the monster... go... away... I... promise..."_ A faint rainbow aura began to form around the bear. It was like the one that surrounded Adam when he was in communication.

"STOP!" Roman suddenly called out. Seth pushed the pause button on the remote control he held. "Now, split the screen and put up the FLIR at the same time stamp." Roman spoke in an excited tone.

It took Seth a few minutes to do as Roman requested. "Now, back them both up two minutes, hit play and watch." Roman sounded like an excited child on Christmas morning.

Again, Seth did as Roman asked. Roman turned to the group. "Let's see if I'm right. Just watch and draw your own conclusions." The Parapsychologist grinned.

Roman nodded to Seth. Seth pushed the play button on the remote control. On one side of the split screen was Adam, on the bed, in Mary's bedroom, holding the picture of Peter and baby Mary. On the other side of the screen was the video of Mary and the device loaded teddy bear.

The thirteen men watched with nearly jaw dropping awe. The rainbow aura around Adam began to grow brighter. It grew until it extended down his arm and enveloped the picture frame.

As soon as the colored aura was around the picture, it began to pulsate. On the other side of the screen, the teddy bear came to "life". The group of ghost hunters watched as the rainbow aura began to form around the bear.

When the aura began to pulsate around Adam, the aura grew in intensity around the bar. The more energy Adam sent mentally, through the picture, the brighter the rainbow grew around the bear. They also noticed that the aura around the bear pulsated at the same heartbeat like tempo that surrounded Adam.

"PAUSE!" Hunter cried out with excitement. He went flying up the stairs. He'd left his medical bag on the Reso's kitchen table. He grabbed the bag and thundered back down the wooden basement stairs.

Everyone was curious as Hunter handed the tablet style computer to Seth. Hunter grinned as Seth realized what the doctor wanted.

Shawn looked curiously at his husband. Hunter sat back down. "Just wait, babe." He nodded toward the monitor. Seth was hooking the tablet to the main computer.

Again, it took a few minutes, but Seth was finally ready. In a third box on the computer screen, under the screens of Adam and the bear was the data read out that showed the medical information Hunter took on Adam. It too was marked with a time stamp. Seth had cued all three videos to the same time stamp.

Seth once more pressed the play button. It didn't take very long to understand why Hunter had been so anxious to add his collected data to the mix. On the screen, the data showed the rainbow aura pulsated at the same rate as Adam's heartbeat.

The longer the spirit of Peter Wilson "spoke" to his daughter, the more intense the rainbow aura grew. The more energy Adam put forth, the more his breathing and heart rate changed. His breath rate increased while his heartbeat seemed to slow.

Adam was being drained, physically as well as mentally; this proved it. It was something Hunter had long suspected, but until now there had been no proof. This was scientific medical proof that Adam was actually communicating with the other side.

The evidence was so astounding they watched it four times, then a fifth as Seth recorded the section on its own data disc. They finally continued with the rest of the data.

They only thing they picked up from the camera in the large closet were the sounds of the scratching and growling. The camera was unable to pick up anything unusal. It was hoped the camera would pick up the trickster as it made the scratch marks on the door, but sadly it didn't. The marks were there but they were very faint.

On the screen, Mary turned to her mother, the teddy bear was now a silent toy in her arms. She smiled with a sniff. _"Mommy, daddy loves us. He's going to keep the monsters away. Monster is gone, daddy said so."_ She dragged the teddy bear across the floor as she went to her mother, who sat on the couch. Mother and daughter embraced. That was the end of the data analysis.

Evan swiped his open eye, a tear ran down his cheek. Chris put his arm around Evan's shoulder and hugged him close. "I want to do what you do. I want to learn how to use my curse... make it a gift. I want to join the College Hill Ghost Hunters. Will you teach me how to help?" Evan looked at each of the other twelve men in the room. His last gaze landed on Adam, their leader.

"You know we're going to help you. To be honest, I don't know, we've never just let someone join the team. Once in a great while, we let someone come with us on an investigation. You don't get paid, you have to give up a lot, and I mean a lot of free time. We can't tell a potential client they have to wait because we have something more fun to do. You have to be ready to be humiliated by skeptics. You will be teased and laughed at. On investigations you have to be willing to do grunt work. Evan I crawl into nasty places to set a camera. We are nothing like those groups on television or see in the movies. You can never, ever show fear; especially around a client. You have to be willing to believe the strangest stories, you never tell a client they are crazy. It's a hard thing, Evan. To be honest, right now, you are not ready. You must have your empathy under control. It could be dangerous, not only to you, but o the rest of us. Especially if we come up against a demon. We like you, and in a way, you already are one of us. Oh hell, most of us already love you like a little brother... but..." Adam finally paused. He knew he'd thrown a lot at the younger man.

Adam had only spoken the truth. It was a hard job. It would be a group decision or not at all. Could Evan do the job?

Evan shrugged Chris' arm from his shoulder and sat up straight in his chair. As he spoke, he looked each member of the group directly in the eye.

"I would not even consider asking to join you if you charged the clients a fee. To take money from scared, desperate people would be criminal. I do know, right now, I'm not ready. I wouldn't do anything to put any of you in danger. I know I'm no where near ready to face a demon, but I will be. When I am ready, I'll do whatever it takes. I'm no prima donna, I would expect to crawl in mud if the job required it. Just because this happened, doesn't mean I'm a delicate little flower. I don't care about having fun, especially if I know someone is in trouble. Trust me, with all I've been through, I've heard it all, besides, with my empathy, I know when someone is lying. That could come in hands, when dealing with a potential client. Someone that is out to bring the group harm. I've already been laughed at, so that's nothing new. It doesn't bother me any more. I am what I am, I know it, you know it, and that's all that matters. I don't want to be on television or in the movies. I'm just Evan Bourne, who wants to help. I do appreciate that you have all taken me under wing, so quickly. Not many have cared about me over the years. I'd also, if I could, like to permanently rent the room upstairs, get out of the lousy dorm room... away from... well, away. To be safe. Look, I know I'm not much, nor do I have much, but I do offer all I have and all that I am with a willing heart." Evan ended his passionate response. He slumped back against his chair.

There was no more he could say. Evan knew one thing, even if he never became a member of the CHGH, he had made a group of loyal, loving, life long friends.

Bray Wyatt stood. "This is my cue to exit. Roman, I want you to take this and the Island data to the lab on Monday when classes resume. You caught some fantastic evidence and the Doctorate students need to see it. Evan, you're doing good. Tomorrow I want you to rest. I have some business to take care of. Work on keeping the door locked. I'll be back day after tomorrow, so be ready for a hard day of training. Good night, gentlemen. You've all done a fantastic job. Oh, Seth, can Roman take the bear to the lab? I'm sure they will be interested in seeing it." Bray looked at the groups computer whiz.

"Of course. It needs independent inspection so they know it wasn't tampered with." Seth replied openly.

He knew that's what Bray wanted. He knew he wasn't being accused of faking evidence, but he knew others would. To have a science lab verify that the bear wasn't tampered with would be very important.

With hugs and handshakes, Bray left the group. He'd wanted to leave to give the CHGH a chance to talk about Evan. Bray had been asked to be a member when the CHGH started, but he refused. He simply didn't have the time to devote to it. Adam had been telling Evan the truth, it did take utter devotion and as a University Department Head, he simply didn't have the time. Roman barely did, but he managed.

Adam felt like there was now a huge elephant in the room. It would remain until the group talked about inviting Evan to join them. He didn't quite know how to handle it. Evan then unknowingly solved the problem for him.

Evan flushed a bit and excused himself from the room. He went up to the bathroom off his guest room. Chris smiled and couldn't help but notice how cute Evan's ass was as he went up the basement stairs..

"Well, what do we do? Personally, I think once he has his empathic abilities under control, Evan would be an asset to us." Adam asked the question of the entire group.

Dean perked up first. "I liked what he said. For all he's been through, he's a humble kid. Would come in handy during client interviews if he could tell if someone was lying. I say, once you think he's ready, he joins us."

There was a mummer of agreement and shared thoughts that coursed through the group. Shawn spoke next. "I agree. To be honest, it would be good for him. It would be a tremendous boost to his morale to be included in something positive."

Again, a chorus of agreement circled its way through the group. "Besides, if we don't let him in, Chris will never be able to concentrate. Okay... okay. Chris knows I only tease the people I love. Seriously though, for Adam's sake, it would be good to have someone that could share the psychic load, you know how wiped out he gets. With Evan, Adam would have help." Jason went for jovial to serious. It did worry him how drained Adam was after an investigation.

That statement brought out the loudest agreement. They all worried about Adam. Roman and Hunter agreed the most vehemently.

Adam called for an official vote. It was unanimous as soon as Evan had his empathic abilities under control, he would be the twelfth member of the College Hill Ghost Hunters.

When Evan returned, he sat back down next to Chris. He kept his mind locked, but he knew something had happened. Adam looked at Evan with a smile.

"Well, once you have everything trained and under control, you will be a member of the College Hill Ghost Hunters. Congratulations. Now, as for the room, of course you can move in. We have a microwave and a dorm fridge in the attic you can use. Can you manage a hundred dollars a month for rent? It's just to help with the extra utilities." Adam got up and gave Evan a welcoming hug.

Evan was so happy he nearly cried. He held the tears in, but just. "Thank you. I promise, I will do whatever I'm asked. I'll be glad to be able to help Adam as well. It's too much psychic pressure for one person. I promise, I will work hard on my control training. Thank you. And yeah, I alloted triple that amount for the dorm, that's very kind of you. I'll move tomorrow, only have one trunk and a computer." He was so pleased he almost danced in his chair.

"I'll help you. I'm sure your stuff will fit in my car." Chris said with a kiss to Evan's cheek. Everyone smiled at the new couple.

Heath grinned. "Good thing. I just booked the last first class ticket on our flight to Ireland. Sorry Evan, you'll have to sit next to Chris." He gave the opened mouthed Evan a wink.

When Evan was finally able to sleep that night, he drifted of to happy dreams. The happiest thought of all... acceptance. Evan knew he was finally accepted.


	10. The Paranormal Laboratory

The rest of the week flew by. Evan officially moved into the house at 6125 Olive Street. Adam and Roman let him use the microwave and dorm sized fridge they had stored in the attic. Wade and Mark had an extra television for him.

Evan's mother, who lived in St. Louis, Missouri was glad to know her baby was being so well looked after. She'd spoken to both Adam and Roman and thanked them for everything. More than anything, she was grateful Evan was with people who understood and could help with his empathic control.

Chris was as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs when he spoke to Evan's mother. Evan had told her a while back about his crush on the older man. She assured Chris that the age difference didn't matter to her. Her husband, Evan's father, was seventeen years older when they married. All she asked of Chris was to never hurt her baby boy. He promised her he would never hurt him, and that they were not rushing into anything.

Evan also asked his friends and boyfriend not to say anything about how he looked or what had happened with Brock. He explained, since he was fine, and there was nothing she could do, to just let it go. Brock wasn't in his life anymore, that was all that mattered.

On the Sunday before classes started again, Hunter removed the sixteen stitches. Hunter had done such a neat job, the scar would be barely visible after it healed. Evan's black eye had opened as the swelling went down. His eye and cheek were now the color of a bruised banana with green tinges. His control training was going well too. He could, by the end of the week, keep the door locked for hours at a time. Evan was making progress, but still had a lot of work to do.

On Monday morning, Evan walked to NIU with Adam and Roman. Roman felt a little self conscious as he carried Seth's teddy bear. He'd tried to fit it into his backpack, but the pack was too full of other things, like books, papers and a box of data discs.

"This is where I leave you. Why I ever decided to be a math major is beyond me. Oh well, keeps my mind busy." Evan winked as he headed to the building that contained the Mathematics Department.

"See you, Evan. Have a good day, and keep it locked!" Adam gave Evan a wave. Roman also waved and hurried Adam along to their building. Adam laughed and took the teddy bear from his husband.

"Thanks, Viking. I owe you one. When is your class this term? If you told me, I forgot." Roman asked as he looked at the memo page on his cell phone.

"Wednesdays at ten. The class is full too, that's a first. Maybe I can get another time slot if it stays full and has a waiting list. I like teaching. You have a meeting with Bray before your first class at nine." Adam replied as he looked at his day planner.

They arrived at Roman's office and for once, no students were waiting to see Doctor Reigns. It was usually quiet the first few days of a new term. Students were too busy adjusting to returning to classes and worrying about their grades.

When Adam opened the office door, a large brown envelope lay on the floor. Someone had slid it under the door. It must have been during the break as there was a bit of dust on it when Adam picked it up.

The front of the envelope read: _ATTENTION! COLLEGE HILL GHOST HUNTERS! URGENT!_ "Now I wish we did have an office for the CHGH. If it wasn't for the zoning, we could just use the basement." Adam sighed as he loaded his desk with his brief case, bear and backpack.

"I don't want strangers coming to the house. Call Glenn and tell him we _need_ a space. He's Mark's half-brother, get Mark to push him. What is it?" Roman asked as he stepped into his office and put down all his things. Adam had opened the envelope.

Adam pulled out several eight by ten pictures and a letter. He read the letter out loud. "I didn't know where else to leave this. I knew if I left these here, you would eventually find them. Who I am isn't important. I took these while on a recent trip to Cedar Rapids. They were taken during a random tour of the Brucemore Mansion. They were taken around seven in the evening, during clear weather. They were taken in the library. It has been reported there is a poltergeist there. Things are moved, the lights flicker and strange noises have been heard. There are also reports of a glowing presence. These are pictures of that presence; at least I think so. I went back the next day at the same time to check if it could have been a reflection, but I don't think so. Do with this information what you will. I'd like to know that you will soon investigate the Brucemore." Adam finished reading the anonymous letter. He looked at the six pictures that had come with the letter.

Roman looked over his husband's shoulder. "That is interesting. I'll take them to the lab later. I'd better get up to the second floor. Love you, baby." He gave Adam a kiss and hurried off to his meeting with Bray.

"Love you." Adam replied to Roman's retreating form. Adam took a closer look at the pictures. There was indeed some kind of misty apparition. Adam figured out the scale by using a protractor. His calculations suggested the figure was the size of a child, between eight to maybe twelve years old. Of course, it could also be a small adult, one could never be sure.

He put the pictures and letter back in the envelope. Adam put it and the teddy bear on Roman's desk, for him to take to the lab later. Adam sat back down at his own desk. Adam looked again at his day planner. He smiled, Heath should be at home. He picked up the handset of the phone on his desk and called the red head.

Heath _was_ home. Adam briefly explained about the anonymous letter. "... so see what you can find out about the Brucemore. Do they allow paranormal investigations, you know the drill. Can you text Chris to have him do a history check?... okay... you sure?... Can I bring anything?... alright... thanks, Ginger Snap... Jay Bird told me... oh... poor Jay... okay... love you, too... bye, Heath." Adam hung up the phone with a laugh. He loved getting Jason in trouble with Heath.

Adam turned serious and went to work. He wanted to get a review ready to hand out to his class. Then he had to refine his lecture. This weeks subject was Stonehenge, one of his favorites. He hoped to visit the historic stone circle when they went overseas next June.

When Roman returned to his office, he entered, walked past Adam at his desk, and slammed his office door so hard, his and Adam's wedding picture fell off the wall. When it hit the ground, the glass of the frame shattered.

Adam was shocked. What the hell had happened. He felt sick when he saw the broken glass of the picture frame had ripped a hole in the picture that went right across their faces. Adam went to the small closet and took out the dust pan and whisk broom. He carefully cleaned up the broken glass. Adam salvaged the picture from the broken frame, then tossed the broken frame and shards of glass into the trash can by his desk.

Adam was worried about his husband, but he had learned, early on in their relationship to leave Roman alone when he was that angry. He knew Roman would eventually cool off and talk to him, but until that happened it always made Adam fret.

The psychic sometimes wished he was a bit like Evan, but Adam's gift only allowed him to speak with the dead. He could hear Roman lifting his weight bar he kept in his office. Adam knew it must be really bad, Roman would never work up such a sweat before teaching without a good reason. Luckily, Roman's first class wasn't until after lunch.

Adam held their damaged wedding picture. Both men wore navy blue suits with a red rose pinned to their lapels. They were standing on the steps of Shawn's church, where they still went every Sunday.

"I'm sorry." Roman's voice whispered over Adam's shoulder. He hadn't meant to ruin their picture.

Adam turned and looked up at Roman. The Islander was shirtless, trickles of sweat ran down his torso and arms. Roman's long hair was damp and clung to his back. His dark eyes were like two storm clouds.

"Ro, what happened? Is it Bray?" Adam's voice was shaky with nerves. His hazel eyes searched Roman's.

Roman sighed. "Not Bray; Heyman. He told Bray this morning, that unless the Paranormal Department gets published, in a legit publication, he will close the Department at the end of the semester." He delivered the horrible news. Roman went to the window of the outer office and scrubbed his face with his hands in desperation.

"Does that fucking fool not realize how _many_ students chose this University _because_ of the Paranormal Department? We _have_ published, _many_ times!" Adam was just as angry and frustrated.

Roman stared out of the window. "Tell him that. Bray showed him that article in the Paranormal Journal. Heyman laughed at him. He wants a _legit_ publication to publish about us. Heyman wants National Geographic or Omni to publish. What are we going to do? I have four years to go until I get my tenure, but even that wouldn't matter if he closes our doors. What are we going to do, Adam? This is my life, I love this college." His voice was filled with heartbreaking sadness.

Adam went to his husband. He wrapped his arms around Roman's waist and rested his chin on the sweat laced skin of Roman's right shoulder. "First, you're going to wash up. Then you're going to your lab. You have the solution, the bear. A publication like Omni or Popular Mechanics would love a story on the bear, perhaps even Nat Geo. Those publications treat the paranormal seriously, if the article is interesting. Don't give up, Ro, you never give up." He kissed the spot just under Roman's ear. Adam couldn't help but notice how wonderful Roman tasted.

Roman smiled and gave a slight shudder with Adam's kiss. "You're right, I don't give up. It was the shock I suppose. All I can do is try. Come to the lab? The Doctoral students love to hear from you when we're doing CHGH data. Plus, I need you close." He leaned back against Adam and took comfort from Adam's embrace.

"Of course I will. You know, maybe Stephanie McMahon can help. If her article is good, perhaps you could combine it with the technical stuff. We'll figure it out. Heyman won't close the Department. Doesn't he have to get approval from the Board of Regents to do something so drastic?" Adam asked as he went to the closet. He took out a shaving kit they kept there. He handed the bag to Roman. Both Adam and Roman worked out in the gym, so they kept the shaving kit, a few towels and couple of clean shirts in the office closet.

Roman took the shaving kit and went to get a towel. "Yes, the Board has to approve, but they love Heyman. Maybe Bray can appeal to them. I don't know, maybe Stephanie's article can help. I'll be back, going to wash up. I love you. You're always there for me." He gave Adam a kiss, then left the office. The bathroom was down the hall, and luckily it had a shower.

Adam sat back down at his desk. He just couldn't let himself believe the University would close a major Department. He shook his thoughts. If he was going to the lab, he needed to quickly finish his own work.

Later in the Paranormal Laboratory, fifteen students watched the data from the Robinson Crusoe Island Park investigation. Ten of the students were taking their Doctoral in Parapsychology. Roman was proud to have so many dedicated, serious students in his program.

When the section with Adam, the bear, the aura and the heat signature from the FLIR came on the screen, the gasps of the students were loud. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. They were absolutely awestruck.

When the data finished, the room was silent. It took a few minutes for the students to absorb what they had just seen. Their Professor had shown them CHGH footage many times, but nothing like this.

Roman gave a bit of a laugh, he'd never seen his students so silent and still. "That was a little over a week ago. Now, let me show you an investigation from a few days ago, during the break. Doctor Helmsley caught something and this time, recorded the data. Put on your headsets and watch carefully." He instructed his class. He nodded for Adam to dim the lights as his students "plugged in".

Roman pushed play and once again CHGH footage played on the huge flat screen monitor. Roman wandered to the back of the lab where Adam sat. He leaned in to whisper to his husband.

"This can't close. Did you see their faces? They are the future in this field. We'll think of something, we just have to. By the way, right now, only you and I know about this. Say, you'll answer student questions won't you? You know after they see this, you'll be Mister Popularity." Roman winked at his spouse.

Adam leaned in and gave Roman's lips a quick peck. "Sure I will. I love your students and teaching as much as you do. Now, go teach." He returned the wink.

As Roman wandered back to the front of the lab, the students let out an even louder gasp than they had with the previous footage. They were watching the three screen split of Adam in Mary's bedroom, Mary and the bear in the living room and the data from Adam's heart rate.

When the footage ended, Adam turned up the lights. The stillness and silence in the room was deafening. Slowly the fifteen students removed their headsets. Adam went to sit at Roman's desk at the front of the class. He was ready to answer questions.

Roman addressed his students. "Although it wasn't recorded in the same way, you will notice the aura at the pirate ship matched Professor Reigns' heart rate. I have brought the bear. I want you to prove it wasn't tampered with. I also want you to work on the connection of Professor Reigns' aura and his physical health. You can watch the footage as much as you want and I have hard copies of the all the compared time stamps. If you find anything we missed, write it down, along with the time stamp. Professor Reigns will also answer questions. Get busy." He laid out the assignments for his class.

There was a scrape of chairs against the floor. Several students took the teddy bear to analyze. Some re-watched the data with the time stamp sheets in hand. They wanted to make sure each mark was something actually paranormal. Five of the Doctoral students went to question Adam. They would rotate, so everyone in the class would eventually work on each item. The Lab was four hours and they didn't waste a minute of it. Roman wandered from group to group to teach and advise.

The group of students with Adam asked interesting questions. "Do you feel the heat that the FLIR picks up? Because that wood was white hot." One curious student inquired.

Adam shook his head. "No, I don' feel it. I can of course feel the natural warmth of something. Like the wood absorbing sunlight all day. But, I don't feel the paranormal heat. The stronger my connection, like with the spirit of Billy, the more psychic heat I generate." He replied firmly to the question. He never embellished his answers with television style psychic "babble".

All the students made notes as Adam spoke. The next question was asked. "Does the rainbow aura always appear? And, it went around the child spirit. I could tell he was holding hands with you, and possibly someone else. Why didn't the aura extend to the third party?"

"It didn't always appear. It's getting stronger lately. I can only assume, as my gift strengthens with use, so does the aura. Excellent observation. Yes, Billy was holding the hand of my grandmother, my guide on the other side. I don't know why the aura won't expand around her. Maybe it can't cross over where she is. Maybe one of you can do a paper on that. I'd like to know myself." Adam laughed a bit. Maybe one of these students would be the one to answer the question, Roman was right, this couldn't end.

Each group that examined the bear came to the same conclusion. It had not been tampered with. They had seen other bears like it on the market, but they thought Seth's was the best. It gathered all the information at once. Other bears were just motion detectors or just video recorders. They thought Seth should try to sell the design.

The group also found no faults with the time stamps. One student thought there was a flash when the trickster was in the closet. Roman and Adam came over to look at the isolated time stamp.

Adam put on his glasses and leaned in close to the screen as the student played the time stamp. They played the video several times. Adam took off his glasses.

With a pat to the hopeful students back, Adam spoke. "Sorry, it's just a flash of reflection. See how Wade moved? He barely hit one of the hangers on the rack, but it was enough to cause a slight lens flare."

The student looked at Adam with disappointment in his eyes. "Is he right, Doctor Reigns? I was just so sure." He looked at Roman with hope.

Roman nodded. "Sorry, but he's right. Watch..." he played the video again and pointed out when Wade touched the hanger and the metal flared in the IR light. The hopeful student drooped his shoulders.

"Don't. You did a great job. It could have been something. Something we missed. Okay, so it wasn't a catch this time, but who knows about the next time. We've all had things debunked, there is no shame in it. Keep up the great work." Adam's voice was filled with encouragement. He smiled warmly at the student.

"Thanks Professor Reigns. You make a great leader for your team. We're all grateful that you share your data with us, as well as being so willing to speak openly about your gift. Um... do you ever do private readings?" he asked with a bit of sadness in his eye.

Adam's grandmother suddenly invaded his mind. It was so unexpected he was visibly shaken. He closed his eyes. _"Grandma, you don't usually do that. Is something wrong?"_ His mental thoughts flowed like water to his grandmother.

The students saw Adam suddenly jump. The one who'd asked about a private reading started to speak. Roman laid a hand on his shoulder. "No, don't. His guide must have come to him. Leave him." Roman whispered emphatically. Interrupting a communication could be harmful to Adam.

Adam's grandmother spoke. _"Sorry sweetie, but this young man's sister was most insistent. Will you speak to her?"_ The spirit asked in an apologetic tone. Normally she wouldn't have come to Adam without a warning.

" _I will. You know that." Bring her forward, please."_ Adam's mental voice was like a smile of forgiveness.

Adam's grandmother brought the spirit of a pretty young girl. She was fourteen years old. She "spoke" to Adam in a soft, but clear voice. _"Tell Tom it wasn't his fault. He feels so guilty, but it wasn't his fault. It was my time, there was nothing he could do to stop it. Tell him to take care of Beau, he'll know it's me. Please?"_ She asked Adam with a fervent plea.

Adam opened his eyes and looked at the student. "Your sister is with me . She said it wasn't your fault, it was her time. Nothing you could have done would have stopped it. She's worried that you feel so guilty. She also said to take care of Beau." Adam relayed the spirits message in a soft, gentle voice.

Tom gasped. His hand flew to his mouth. "It is her. Only I know about Beau. I was late getting home with her medicine. She collapsed and died. I should have been faster, but the pharmacy was busy... I had to wait so long. I'm sorry, Sis, I'm so sorry." His eyes filled with tears of guilt.

Adam closed his eyes as Tom's sister pulled him back into mental conversation. _"The medicine didn't work any more. Mom and dad knew it, but couldn't bear to tell Tom. They should have. I love you Tom, and I'm happy. I'm with granny and papaw. It's okay to laugh and have fun. I'm with you... often. Take care of Beau. I love you Tom-Tom. Bye..."_ She faded back into the spirit world. Adam's grandmother left as well.

Adam opened his eyes and repeated, word for word, what the spirit had told him. "... I love you Tom-Tom... and she faded away. But, she was honestly very happy." He finished the spirits message.

Tom looked at Adam. "She's really happy? She's not in any pain?" his eyes filled with hope once again.

Adam smiled. "Yes, she is very happy. She is completely free from pain and suffering. I haven't heard a spirit so happy in a long time. She must have suffered a lot when she was alive. Will you tell me who Beau is? She really wants you to take care of him." Adam explained with sincerity on his face and in his voice.

Tom nodded. "She was in a lot of pain. She had bone cancer. She would cry if anything touched her. There were times when even a sheet was too heavy. I wish the folks would have told me she was so bad that day. I would have stayed home with her, instead of wasting all that time for nothing..." he paused, then laughed slightly... "Beau isn't a him... I don't think. Beau is a huge sunflower. She could see it from her window as she lay in bed. It just grew there, randomly. She said it looked so happy and cheerful. She named it Beau... she named everything. She always said everything needs a name... it was a game we played. Her lamp was Lucy, her dresser was Woody... I miss her. I'm glad to know she's happy and pain free. Thank you, Professor Reigns. Guess I don't need a private reading now. You truly have a wonderful gift." He held his hand out for Adam to shake.

Adam shook the students hand. "It always makes me glad when I can offer comfort. I would have done a private reading, but, spirits don't always come. I find it's better when it's random. When they come to me, it's because they want to. Sometimes when you call for them, they aren't ready yet and don't like to come. Well, sorry Doctor Reigns but I guess you can forgive the interruption to your class?" He looked at his husband with a sly smirk on his lips.

Roman gave a bit of a guffaw. "I think a communication in the Paranormal Lab makes a great interruption. However, no need to spread Tom's private business, understand?" He spoke firmly to the other students in the lab, who couldn't help but over hear the conversation between Adam and Tom.

Tom looked at his fellow students as well. Everyone agreed. While it had been exciting it wasn't something to spread outside the lab. Tom was grateful and thanked his fellow students.

After a bit of talking, the students settled back into their work. The next group sat down to ask Adam a few questions.

Tom just happened to be in the group, and asked the first question. "Do you feel the aura? Can you tell when it's growing, or when it starts to pulsate? And just curious, do you think we would have seen the aura... just now?" He held his pen ready to write down Adam's response.

Adam rubbed his lightly bearded chin. "Hum... I don't feel it per se. It was such a sudden and fast communication, I don't know if the aura would have had time to develop. Doctor Reigns could probably answer more than me about the aura. He always films me with the FLIR." He nodded toward Roman.

One of the girls spoke next. "You said you don't feel it per se, I take it then, you must feel something?" She looked at Adam pointedly. She took all this seriously and would not settle for an incomplete answer.

Adam arched his brow. "Whew... I wish I could answer better. I just... I can't say I feel it, or even sense it, but I am aware of it... sort of... I just... You know the tingling when one of your limbs falls asleep... it's like that, but not as strong... it's almost like a tickle. Well, I'm sure that was helpful..." he laughed at himself. The students chuckled as well.

Ten minutes before the lab time was over, Roman addressed his class. "I still need thesis outlines from some of you. Deadline is approaching. All thesis topics must be approved by Doctor Wyatt and myself. I don't need to really remind you how important your Doctoral Thesis is, you can't graduate without it. I might add, that Professor Reigns is going to be on the panel this year. So you really have to be on your toes to impress someone with paranormal gifts. Alright, see you in your classes and back here in one week. I want ten thousand word papers on this weeks lab. Class dismissed." Roman's tone was serious and formal. His face was stern. He set difficult homework on purpose, becoming a Doctor of Philosophy in Parapsychology should not be easy, it wasn't for him. If he could only tell them, unless something drastic changed, none of them would make it to graduation.

Back in Roman's office, the couple packed up to go home. "Heath asked us to dinner. I need to go home by way of the Hill. Gotta go to the bakery for dessert. Ro, baby, we will figure this out. They won't close one of the biggest drawing departments. Be positive." Adam whispered as he pulled Roman into his arms.

"It just... what if they do? All the work my Doctoral students are doing. I spent two years forming _my_ thesis ... we _will_ figure this out. Sorry, I won't be all doom and gloom. You know, we forgot to show those pictures we got to the lab students. Well, next week. Your communication threw me off. That was amazing by the way. Tom has been down for so long. I'm sure that helped him. He was smiling when he left the lab." Roman smiled. They had left the office and were walking out of the building.

The couple walked, hand in hand toward the shops on College Street. Now that his backpack was empty of books and papers, the teddy bear was in safely in Roman's pack. The air was cool and the sun was low in the sky.

"Yes, grandmother came so fast, it startled me. I was glad she came and brought the sister. She was so happy, Islander. Poor thing must have been in horrible pain. It's spirits like her that really make me appreciate my gift. I wonder how Evan got along today. He's like a puppy, so eager to please. He will be so good for Chris." Adam chattered away as they walked.

"Yes he will. Chris was really worried about being left alone when Bray's boys move up here. He felt more for Bray than he let on. I didn't tell you, but last time Bray went to see his boys, Chris drunk dialed me, he was miserable. Then when school started this year, he told me about this beautiful boy in his honors class... I'm sure you can guess who he was talking about... " Roman laughed and opened the door of the bakery for Adam.

They were hit with that wonderful smell of fresh baked treats and the yeasty scent of just baked bread. Adam had to buy a loaf of Vienna bread, it made fantastic toast. He chose a fresh blueberry cheesecake for their dessert.

"Oh... Are these Wade Barrett's?" Adam pointed to a tray of cookies, his brow raised. The clerk said yes with smile and packed up five dozen of a variety of the cookies. Adam knew sixty cookies would not last long between himself and Roman, especially Wade's cookies.

"Wade must have had the day off, or he was there all night baking." Roman said as he carried the two bakery boxes with the loaf of bread on top.

"Probably at the bakery all night. Mark said sometimes when Wade can't sleep... because of the nightmares... he goes to the bakery. He said ever since Wade saw Evan so beaten up, the nightmares started again. Wade was really glad when Evan moved it, now he'll be safe." Adam related what Mark had told him last night.

"I don't know where Mark found the restraint not to kill those five criminals. I would have. I also don't know what I would have done if that had been you. It could have been. If you hadn't been sick, you would have been there with Wade... oh... Viking... I'm sorry." Roman noticed Adam had stopped walking and looked ready to cry.

Adam had stopped at Roman's words. The guilt of telling Wade to go the cemetery alone still haunted him at times. Roman put the boxes down on a nearby bench and went to his husband.

"Baby, my big mouth. I'm so sorry. It wasn't your fault, sweetheart. Wade and Mark have spent hours telling you that. Wade wanted to go. Shit, this has been a fucked up day." Roman held Adam in his arms.

"I know, but sometimes I do feel guilty. No, helping Tom was good. Come on, Heath and Jason are waiting. I'm looking forward to this, it's been awhile since it's been just the four of us. Let me carry one of those." Adam kissed Roman and smiled. He now carried the box of cookies and the loaf of bread.

When they arrived home, the couple went up to their apartment first to shower and change into jeans and t-shirts.

Before Adam grabbed the plate he'd put the cheesecake on, he turned to Roman. He wrapped his arms around his husband's neck. "Let's leave the crap here. No point in upsetting Jay and Heath. Heyman can't win. I love you, Islander." Adam gave Roman a gentle kiss.

Roman's hands rested on Adam's hips. "You're right. I just want to have fun and relax. I love you, Viking." He returned Adam's kiss, but not gently. He captured Adam's lips with passion. It left Adam slightly breathless. They held each other after the kiss broke. Roman and Adam drew strength from each other. They needed each other.

With another quick kiss, they broke their embrace. Adam picked up the plate and Roman grabbed the Clue Mystery Game. Roman always had hope they would play. He also had the envelope they'd found in the office that morning.

When Adam and Roman got down to the first floor, Evan came in the front door. "Hi guys! Have good first day back?" he was happy, even though he was loaded down with thick text books and the work books that went with them.

"Hey Squirt. Wow, what a load of books. Need help? First day back was good. Want to come with us? Jay and Heath invited us to dinner, but I know they won't mind an extra person." Roman held his hands out to take Evan's load of books.

"No, thanks. This is a light load. Well... um... thanks but Chris is at Tony's. He's getting a pizza. He's going to watch me study. Have fun. Tell Jay and Heath I said hello." Evan laughed and happily bounded up the stairs.

Adam laughed softly as Evan went upstairs. "That is one happy young man. I really hope he and Chris make it as a couple." He knocked on the Reso's front door. Greetings were exchanged when both Jason and Heath answered their door.

Soon the two couples were gathered around the dinner table. Heath had spent all day making a roast chicken with stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, homemade cream style corn and a tossed salad. He'd also made homemade dinner rolls.

"Heath, you might not be the neatest in the kitchen, but mom Carol sure passed on her cooking skills." Roman teased with a bite of food.

"Well, my momma could cook, I learned a lot from her, but yeah, mom Carl did teach me a lot. Oh, just before you arrived, I got a call back from the Brucemore. I'm sorry to say, they don't allow paranormal investigations. They were also not happy about pictures being taken on the tour. Camera's aren't allowed on the tour. She asked who gave the pictures to us. I wouldn't have told her, but you said it was anonymous. She thanked us for our interest and said to visit any time; as tourists and she emphasized the word tourist. I dunno if we can talk to them further or not." Heath finished his report and took a bite of mashed potatoes and gravy. He slopped some gravy down his chin.

Jason laughed and wickedly licked the dribble of gravy from Heath's chin. "Such a little slob," he winked and laughed again as Heath flushed a pretty shade of pink.

Adam and Roman smiled at each other. Jason and Heath were an evenings entertainment in themselves. Adam swallowed his sip of iced tea, then spoke. "Now, this is not psychic in any way, but something tells me anonymous will be in touch again. I would also not be surprised to find out anonymous has a connection with the Brucemore. Thanks for making contact, Heath. I promise, when we get an office, we'll find a way to pay you to be there full time." Adam spoke firmly.

Heath vehemently shook his head. "Why should I get paid. No one in CHGH gets paid. I can do both, run the office and do my temp jobs. Oh yeah, Glenn called. I guess Mark fussed at him about an office space. He's looking again tomorrow." Heath went back to eating.

"How funny. I told Adam today to tell Mark to get on to Glenn. Adam, tell them what happened at the lab today." Roman said with a nudge to his husband. Adam told the story of Tom and his sister as they finished their meal. Jason and Heath were both pleased Adam had been able to help someone in trouble.

After dinner, Roman and Jason washed the dishes. Heath set up the card table in the large front room so they could play games. Adam made a pot of coffee and sliced huge pieces of the fresh blueberry cheesecake.

The four friends settled in to play a game of Clue. Heath took a ribbing from Jason when he chose to play Miss Scarlet. Adam didn't fair any better with Mrs. Peacock.

"But I like the blue piece! I can't help it if blue happens to be Missus Peacock. Besides, Jaybird, Colonel Mustard is much better looking than you... you should be Professor Green!" Adam teased Jason right back and stuck his tongue out at him.

That was how the rest of the evening went. A lighthearted, fun time. While Roman did enjoy himself, one thought was constantly on his mind.

Heyman had to be stopped from closing down the Paranormal Department... but how?


	11. Heyman's Hatred

The rest of the fall term passed all to quickly. Adam's birthday was celebrated by a night at The Lunatic Fringe, with Fozzy on stage. Adam's birthday fell the day before Halloween, so the bar was decorated with zombies and famous movie monsters. It was a fun evening and Adam didn't mind turning a year older... too much.

It was cute to watch Evan when Fozzy was on stage. He was like a teenage fan boy, swooning over the lead singer. The best thing was, the lead singer swooned over Evan just as much. The other members of Fozzy were happy for Chris, his performances had improved so much since he'd been with Evan. Evan became their unofficial mascot, and sat on stage.

Even though Jason's birthday was on November thirteenth, they celebrated it during Thanksgiving dinner. This was Shawn's year to host, and he laid out a feast to feed the nation. However, instead of feeding the nation, after they ate their own dinner, the CHGH took their vast leftovers, plus two turkeys and a ham to the people who lived in the shelter downtown. Everyone enjoyed the experience of sharing with those less fortunate.

Roman and Chris nearly lived in their offices on campus. Adam felt lucky to only have one final exam to give. Evan was buried in his books till all hours. He'd even forbidden Chris from coming over, they both needed to concentrate. Evan knew if Chris showed up, kissing and petting would ensue and nothing would get done. Evan had six finals to study for. The one he was most anxious about was the one for his honors history course. He wanted to make Chris proud.

The final in honors history also meant Chris was no longer his Professor. When he'd registered for his spring term classes, Evan stayed away from any class taught by Doctor Chris Jericho. He was extremely glad Chris taught history and not mathematics.

While Mark and Wade didn't have to write exams, they had to work just as hard. The power plant had to be ready to keep the buildings and dorms warm in the harsh winter weather. Wade had to make sure the fleet of athletic coaches were safe and ready for winter travel. The basketball team had a lot of away games that season.

Heath and Adam, with occasional help from their husbands and Wade or Mark, decorated the entire outside of the three story house with colorful Christmas lights.

There was one moment, which was scary at the time, but funny later. Adam and Heath had climbed onto the gable of the second floor roof. Suddenly the ladder fell over, leaving them stranded in the freezing cold until Wade came home. He heard their cries for help and quickly put the ladder back in place. Adam and Heath were frozen to the bone, but no real harm was done. Wade finished putting the lights around the gable eave. Adam and Heath were forbidden from the roof from that year on.

Finals came and went. Classes were over until the spring term began on January eleventh. Evan slept for nearly twenty four hours. One good thing, he was able to keep his empathic door locked almost all the time. His training had continued and was working.

Roman, Adam, Wade, Mark, Bray and Chris had all been invited to Seerly Hall for the annual party between Christmas and New Year's. Seerly Hall was the home of the University President. It's current occupant was Paul Heyman. None of the ghost hunters wanted to go, but attendance was _not_ optional.

Each couple of the College Hill Ghost Hunters spent Christmas Eve alone. They briefly met at the midnight church service, but didn't linger to chat. They also spent their Christmas morning to themselves. However, once again they met for lunch. This time at The Lunatic Fringe. Also, again, after their delicious meal, they went to the shelter to serve those in need. Hunter made a wonderful Santa Clause. Evan and Heath were his adorable elves, complete with pointed ears, red and white tights and curled toed shoes with bells.

It was the day of, the night of Heyman's party. Adam would actually spend the money to go the hair dressers. He wanted to make Roman proud. Evan sat next to Adam in the waiting area. He'd been to the barber shop for a trim, and now he was there to give Adam moral support.

Adam tossed the well read magazine back onto the table with a sigh. "I hate big, fancy parties. I always do something wrong. I feel awkward. Last year I spilled my eggnog on Heyman's couch." Adam ducked his head sheepishly as he recounted the event.

Evan gave Adam's knee a pat. "They are just people, Adam. You know most of them, bet they are just as nervous. My mom always said, never let anyone make you feel inferior. Sorry, I'm babbling, I'm nervous too. Not about the party, but this is our first real public date. I hope Chris won't be sorry." Evan gave a sigh of his own.

"He won't be. That man is crazy about you. Just remember, keep your door locked... tight. Heyman... well... he wouldn't like to have anything... paranormal around his party. If something does break through, keep it to yourself." Adam's tone and expression were friendly, but he was firm and serious.

"Alright. Adam? Please know, I am _not_ reading your mind, but anyone can see, something is bothering you and Roman. I may be the youngest of us all, but I'm a good listener, and I don't tell tales, I keep my mouth shut." Evan looked at Adam with earnest concern. Everyone in the CHGH _had_ noticed that the Reigns' seemed... distracted.

Adam opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, the beautician called him for his appointment. Evan wished Adam luck and picked up the magazine Adam had read and sat back to wait. It was better than being home, alone, fretting about the party.

Adam first got his hair washed, then he had a hot, deep conditioning treatment. He had thought about a body perm, but decided a good treatment and fresh style would work just as well. For as much as he vocalized about hating going to a "beauty parlor", he sure enjoyed it.

Adam took the whole treatment. A facial, then a neat trim of his light beard. Next came a manicure but he would not stoop to a pedicure, his toes were private. He did have the make-up girl lightly line his eyes. Roman liked the exotic way it enhanced his hazel eyes. "Man-liner" was also socially acceptable, even Heyman wore liner at times.

Three hours later, Adam emerged from the salon, two hundred dollars poorer, but looking like a million. Evan's jaw dropped open. Adam's long hair fell in perfect, soft waves. It fell just below his shoulders and framed his handsome face.

"Adam, Roman will be... stunned. I'm a little hard myself." Evan spoke without thinking. When he realized what he'd said, out loud, he flushed scarlet red.

Adam laughed. "Now, that's a compliment. Thanks, Evan. Well, you should have no more worries about fitting in with us. Jason would be so proud of you right now. Come on, lets have lunch, you just earned it." He gave Evan a hug and draped his arm over the young man's shoulder. They walked to the café across the street.

On the way home, Adam stopped at the dry cleaners and picked up his and Roman's suits. They were going to wear their matching navy blue wedding suits. Six years later and the suits still fit and still looked brand new. Everyone was glad that Heyman hated tuxedos.

Evan had been right. When Adam walked into their apartment, Roman was stunned. "Baby, you are too beautiful for that fucktard. You look stunning, absolutely stunning. I'll be the luckiest man at the party. Those jerks in the Athletics Department better keep their oily paws off. If I'm too busy, stay close to Mark and Wade, or Chris. How is the Squirt? You warned him about paranormal stuff?" Roman asked as he took the suits from Adam and hung them on the back of the bedroom door.

"Aw... thank you my, Islander. I'd only spend money and do all this for you. Yes, babe, I told him. I think Evan is too nervous about his first official out in the open date with Chris to think about empathic feelings. I wish Jaybird and Heath were going to be there, or Dean and Seth. Oh wouldn't Dean and Jay liven up the party! At least Hunter and Shawn will be there this year. I don't know why they were invited, but I don't care." Adam replied as he sat on the floor of their bedroom. He was preparing to polish their shoes.

Roman joined his husband on the floor. He took out the electric buffer to add the final shine after Adam finished the hand polish. "Even they aren't aren't sure why Heyman invited them. Shawn thinks it's because so many of the staff and faculty attend the church. I'm glad they will be there too. Dean and Jay at a formal party? Adam, that's almost cruel, even for Heyshit. I can't get over how beautiful you look. Will you do my hair later?" Roman asked as he nuzzled Adam's neck.

Adam playfully pushed Roman away. "No, Ro! You'll muss me! You can have this ass all you want _after_ the party. Yes, I will do your hair. Do you want a flat pony, braid or man bun?" Adam asked with a swipe of polish on his shoe.

Roman twitched his lip in thought. "Flat pony. Maybe curl it a bit first. Oh how girlish can we sound. Adam, what will we do if the department closes. I mean we have _some_ savings, but eventually..." he put down the shoe he'd been buffing. For the first time in a long time, Roman Reigns stormy eyes filled with tears.

Adam put his shoe down and pulled Roman into his arms. "Ro, it's okay to cry. You'll feel better if did. Let it out. I don't know, NIU isn't the only University with a Paranormal Studies Department. Any college would be glad to have you. No matter what, Roman, we'll do it together; always together. I love you more than anything. Now, just let it out..." He held his husband tightly. Roman finally did let go of all the pent up emotions he'd held in since Heyman made his threat to the Paranormal Department of Northern Iowa University.

Roman sobbed for a long time. His tears soaked the shoulder of Adam's shirt. Adam didn't care, he held Roman close, and shed a few tears of his own, mainly because it tore his heart to see his husband so sad.

"Thanks... Viking... oh God... I needed that. Thanks for understanding. This is part of why I love you so fucking much. I can let my guard down and I know you'll support me, not judge me..." Roman sniffed, then let out a long, shaky sigh. He then continued. "Now, I feel much better. Let's just finish getting ready for tonight." He gave Adam a soft kiss that tasted slightly salty.

"I'm glad you feel better. You'd held that in too long. Look at it this way, at least it's free food. Let's eat as much as possible, raise Heyman's catering bill." Adam joked. He gave Roman's wet cheeks a swipe with the clean rag he'd gotten out to polish shoes with.

At six pm that evening, Mark. Wade, Roman and Adam stepped off the porch to walk the two blocks to the Seerly Hall President's Residence. Just as they got down to the sidewalk, Chris pulled up in his classic, baby blue 1967 Mustang.

"I love that car." Wade very nearly drooled as Chris stepped out of the low slung car. He saw the expression on Wade's face.

"Barrett I promise, if I ever decide to sell her, you get to make the first offer. She won't be cheap either, my Stang is no whore." He patted Wade's shoulder as the Wizard looked at the car.

"Thanks, Chris. But you're a fucking tease. You will never sell her." Wade gave a deep sigh. He didn't want much, he wasn't the least bit materialistic, but he did want that car.

Chris went into the house to fetch Evan. The four other men walked on. Before they crossed the street, Wade turned and took one last look at the beautiful car.

Mark didn't know how or when, but he vowed to buy Wade his own Mustang, like Chris'. Mark smiled to himself, he hoped in the mean time the surprise he had planned for New Year's Eve would take Wade's mind off Chris' Mustang.

When Roman, Adam, Wade and Mark got to the sidewalk that went up to the President's house, they met Shawn and Hunter, who had also walked.

"Wow, Adam... you do clean up pretty." Hunter spoke with an appreciative look on his face. He'd seen Adam dressed up, but never "dolled" up.

Even in the dark of evening, Roman knew Adam was flush faced. "Thanks, Hunter. I wanted to make Roman proud... especially after last year's eggnog incident." Adam spoke through a nervous laugh.

"I think I'm jealous. Hunter, you never even said how nice I look!" Shawn gave a playful pout. He wore a handsome black suit and his stiff, stark white preacher's collar. He seldom wore the collar, but did for special or formal occasions like this.

"I'm sorry, Shawn. You're always my sexy boy. Okay folks, we can't put this off any longer." Hunter motioned to the house at the end of the stone walkway. At the steps that led up to the front door, they ran into Chris and Evan. The eight men made their entrance at the party.

Paul Heyman, his wife, Brock and his date, Stephanie McMahon were in the entrance hall to greet their guests. Evan began to tremble, he didn't know Brock and Stephanie were going to be there. It was the first time he'd seen Brock, this close since _that_ night.

Chris immediately sensed his young boyfriend's unease. He put his arm tightly around Evan's trim waist. Evan felt safe and cared for. Brock basically ignored Evan as the group went through the receiving line.

When Roman and Adam went to greet Paul, the man was suddenly called away by a member of the catering staff. His wife at least had the sense to look embarrassed. "I'm sure it must have been important for him to rush off like that. Please, Doctor and Professor Reigns, do enjoy the evening." Mrs. Heyman warmly greeted the couple. Roman and Adam were the last of their group to go through the receiving line.

Roman and Adam each politely shook her hand, and went to find their friends. Adam turned, Paul Heyman had suddenly returned to greet the next group of guests.

Adam started to go back and confront Heyman. Roman grabbed Adam's blazer sleeve just in time. "Baby, don't. Let's just get some food, I'm hungry." He gently pulled Adam in by the waist.

"I hate the way he treats you. Bray is lucky to be down with his boys. I guess Heyman _had_ to excuse him." Adam sighed as he allowed Roman to lead him toward the room where the buffet was laid out.

"Well, he'd already told Heyman he was moving his boys up after Christmas. Bray was lucky. At least the food looks good." Roman handed Adam a plate from the stack at the head of the food table.

Evan clung to Chris like a piece of lint as they walked up to the food table. "I don't know... he just... ignored me. I guess that's good?" Evan didn't know quite how to react to the situation.

"I wanted to beat the shit outta him. I'm glad he ignored you. How he could though... you look so hot, baby boy. I'm proud to have you on my arm." Chris smiled. He leaned in and kissed Evan's flushed cheek.

Evan ducked his head sheepishly. "I'm the one that's proud. You look so handsome. Please, don't hit Brock, you'd be fired. Chrissy, have you noticed how... distracted Roman and Adam are lately? It began right after term restarted." His eyes were filled with concern as he changed the subject.

Before Chris could respond, Hunter and Shawn joined them. "Well, I must say, I did a good job. You can't even see where the stitches were. You alright, Evan? I know it's not easy being here." Hunter asked as he handed Shawn a plate.

"Yes, you did, Doc. Thank you... I never really thanked either of you for all your help. I do appreciate both of you. It's alright, I have Chris, don't care about _him_ any more." Evan nodded to the corner where Brock and Stephanie stood.

"We're glad to have helped, Evan. You're one of us now. Say... I don't usually gossip, but, I'm worried. Have either of you noticed anything unusual about Roman and Adam?" Shawn's brow arched in question. The two couples were going down the buffet table, filling their plates.

"Evan just asked me the same. They haven't said anything to me, so I don't know. But I have noticed they seem to be worried about something." Chris put a few sausage ball hors d'ouvers on Evan's plate.

"Talking about Adam and Roman?" Mark's slow, deep voice suddenly joined the conversation. He and Wade had quietly joined the group of friends at the buffet table.

"Yeah. Okay, something is up if we all noticed. Should we join them?" Hunter asked, his brow raised as well. He nodded to where Roman and Adam were standing by the grand fireplace, where a huge log burned cheerfully.

The other men agreed. They finished filling their plates and went to join Roman and Adam.

Hunter decided to take charge of the conversation. He got right to the point. "Alright you two. You know we love you and we know something is wrong. It has been for a while now. Care to fill us in?" He looked directly at the Reigns'. Hunter's face was stone, his lips pressed to a thin line.

Roman looked at Adam. The beautiful blond gave a slight sigh with a nod. "Okay, but you' can't react, especially not here, of all places. On the day classes resumed, I had a meeting with Bray. However, when I got to his office, the subject matter of the meeting had changed. Bray told me that unless a major magazine published a favorable article on it, the Paranormal Studies Department would cease to exist, as of January eleventh, next year..." Roman looked at his friends with utter despair in his eyes. He was glad now, that he'd cried earlier, or he would have cried now.

"Oh... Roman... Adam... it's my fault... isn't it? Some kind of pay back for helping me after... Brock?" Evan was highly concerned, it _was_ his fault in some way. He took comfort in the arm that snaked around his waist as Chris pulled him close.

Adam shook his head. "No, Squirt. Heyman has had it in for the Paranormal Department for a long time. He thinks it's an embarrassment to the University. Even though, the Department is a major draw, especially for Doctoral students." He explained in an angry, but quite whisper.

Evan smiled, normally he would have hated to be called a squirt. However, he'd discovered in the CHGH, a nickname meant you were a real part of the group. Dean had called him Squirt first, it had stuck. Chris kissed Evan's temple.

"So, what do we do to stop this nonsense?" Jericho asked with total support written on his face.

"Exactly, what Chris said. It's utterly ridiculous. That department is why there are so many science students. They often ask me about it at church counseling sessions. I tell them, the study of any science is good." Shawn too spoke firmly.

"Can he just do that? Wouldn't the Board of Regents have to approve of something that major?" Hunter asked, brow still arched.

Roman nodded to the other room. "Who do you think he's in there, schmoozing with? That's John Bradshaw Layfield, Head Regent. Zeb Colter, James Ross and Ric Flair are the Officers of the Board. The rest of the Regents do what those four say," his voice was loaded with anger and the undercurrent of deep sadness.

"How about we take a little walk, make our presence known?" Hunter suggested to the group. He was never one to back down, especially if he believed in something.

Shawn laid a hand on Hunter's shoulder. "Hunt, that's probably not the best idea. Why don't you and I go... sniff things out. Neither Roman nor Adam can afford to make trouble with Paul." He spoke with that reason and common sense that Hunter sometimes found extremely frustrating... because he knew Shawn was _always_ right.

"I would appreciate that, Shawn. See where Layfield stands, he's the one in Heyman's pocket." Roman gave Shawn a pointed look. Roman had heard, more than once, that Heyman and Layfield occasionally shared a bed.

After Shawn and Hunter had left to go to the other room, Mark sidled up to Roman. "You do know Layfield and Heyman are fucking. Wish there was a way to prove it, and use it." There was an angry fire in Mark's eyes. He hated seeing his friends hurting, unable to do anything to help.

Roman nodded. "Yeah, heard it a few times." He took a bite of the delicious food, but it was tasteless as sand in his mouth.

"You and Adam will be alright, no matter what happens. Say um... can I ask you something, in private?" Mark spoke to Roman in a low whisper.

Adam and Wade chatted with Chris and Evan. Neither were aware of the deep conversation between Mark and Roman.

"Go ahead and ask him, Wade won't bite." Chris gave Evan a little nudge with his elbow. He wanted to encourage Evan to really get to know everyone in the CHGH.

Wade looked at Evan with a raised brow. "Ask me anything, Squirt." he gave the young man a wink.

Evan looked up at the Wizard, Adam and Roman were tall, but both Wade and Mark were even taller. "Um... were you born a Wizard? I mean... the fire from your hands..." he blushed a bit as he asked, he didn't want to appear stupid.

Wade chuckled. "Well, at least you recognize that I _am_ a Wizard and not a fake magic manipulator. Yes, I was born, seventh of a seventh, for the last twenty one generations. I was either going to be born a Wizard or not born at all. My family comes from the mystic Avebury Plain. It has been said, one of our Druid relatives helped haul the heel stones from Wales to Stonehenge. I honestly don't know how I make the fire... it's just our family... gift. I have a cousin that can rub her hand and water flows from her finger. Does that settle your inquiring mind?" Wade gave Evan a bemused look. Evan reacted the same as everyone who first heard his family history.

Evan looked at Wade like he was something out of a book of Fairy Tales. "Wow, with the numerology of your birth... you must have amazing talents and gifts. To be honest, I'm glad you're on our side." He spoke with deep respect for the Wizard and gave Wade a slight bow.

Wade was humbled. He returned the bow. "It's nice to be... so... respected. Very few understand. You're a good man, Evan. I'm glad you're with us. You keep working on your empathic training, we need you on investigations." He gave the young man's chin a gentle chuck with his fingertips.

Roman and Mark had returned from their whispered conversation. "What did we miss?" Mark asked curiously. He could tell something had happened between Evan and Wade.

Chris briefly explained the conversation between Evan and Wade. Adam added what Chris left out. Mark beamed at Evan.

"Thank you, Evan. Not many are that respectful. It makes me proud. Wade is a good man, and deserves to be treated with respect. I really hope we can make it to Stonehenge when we go overseas." Mark gave Evan a little one armed hug. Chris beamed at his boy.

Before any more could be said, Hunter and Shawn rejoined their friends. "Well, that was totally pointless. They must have been talking about the Paranormal program. As soon as we walked in, they got all flushed and started talking about football." Hunter said in a disgusted tone of voice. He stuffed a tiny meatball into his mouth.

Roman scoffed. "Well, that's it then. Come the start of the year, we'll be out of work and my Doctoral students will have wasted all their time, needless to say their money. They can transfer, but that means they have to redo their Thesis outlines, resubmit them for approval... do you know how _hard_ that is?" He was almost ready to cry again, but he would not allow that to happen here and now.

Adam nodded. "No way can we publish in time now, even if a magazine or journal agreed. It takes nearly a year to get published, and Heyman knew it. We'd hoped Omni or Popular Mechanics would accept a paper on Seth's bear, but what's the point now?" He gave a deep sigh and leaned on Roman's shoulder.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, for your entertainment, you may now move up to the ballroom for dancing and fine music, provided by the NIU Chamber Orchestra." Paul Heyman announced from half way up the grand staircase. He led his wife up the stairs to the second floor ballroom. Brock and Stephanie followed behind.

The party guests slowly began to make their way upstairs. The group of ghost hunters were the last to go up. Before they ascended, Shawn spoke.

"Do you think there is anything Stephanie can do? She really seemed sincere. You said the first draft of her article was excellent, and put CHGH in a good light. Maybe she _could_ help." Shawn's tone was thoughtful as he stroked his stubbly chin.

Evan quickly spoke up. "I shouldn't care, but I honestly like Steph and hold nothing against her. If she makes waves... Brock could..." He pointed to the minuscule scar across his forehead.

"I never thought of that. Well, we can't put her at that kind of risk. We might as well go up. We must act like nothing is wrong. We can't afford to make a faux pas." Roman sighed through his reply. Everyone agreed. They followed Roman and Adam up the stairs. The music had already begun.

Heyman and his wife, along with Brock and Stephanie were in the center of the dance floor. Stephanie gave the ghost hunters a little wave over Brock's shoulder.

Adam returned the greeting. He could not blame Stephanie for anything, not Evan, not Heyman, it wasn't her fault. Evan had told them, as far as he knew, Stephanie had no idea Brock had been with him. She had turned in an excellent first draft of the article about the CHGH. It would be published after the start of the Spring semester.

When their dance was finished, other couples took to the dance floor. Roman led Adam to the dance floor. For their wedding, they had taken ballroom dance classes. They enjoyed the formal style of movement, but they could also tear up the floor at The Lunatic Fringe.

Shawn, Hunter, Chris and Evan also hit the dance floor. Wade watched the dancers with a look of longing. He loved to dance, but Mark hated it. Mark felt awkward and clumsy and refused to embarrass himself.

Wade's mouth fell open when Mark held out his hand and asked. "May I have the pleasure of your company on the dance floor, Mister Barrett?" Wade could only nod in astonishment as he took Mark's offered hand.

While Mark wasn't quite as graceful as Roman, Wade could tell he must have practiced at some point. It pleased him to know Mark would do that for him.

"I think I managed to learn a bit from Roman and Adam." Mark winked and spoke low in Wade's ear.

"You're wonderful. Why though? I know you don't like dancing, especially ballroom." Wade's eyes shone with love for Mark. He laid his head on Mark's strong, broad shoulder.

"You like it. So, I thought I'd have Roman show me a few dances and Adam helped. I want to make you happy. I know we don't... display our feelings much... but I love you, Wade Barrett, very much. You filled an emptiness in not only my heart, but my very soul."

Wade looked into Mark's eyes. "I love you, Mark Calaway. I feel the same. I was so alone before we met... being what I am... isn't exactly a mating call. Then... when it... happened... you took such good care of me. I just... love you." His words were hesitant and filled with uncharacteristic emotion. Wade's dark eyes glittered with unshed tears.

The couple said no more words with their voices, but their looks and gentle touches as they moved across the dance floor spoke volumes. Mark managed to guide Wade fairly gracefully through the waltz that played.

"Wade looks happy. I'm glad Mark asked for help with dancing. Evan's not bad either, but then again, Chris is such a strong dance partner. Look..." Roman whispered in Adam's ear, then nodded to two people, sneaking out of the ballroom. It was Paul Heyman and John Bradshaw Layfield.

Adam bit his lower lip as his eyes searched for Heyman's wife as Roman waltzed him across the dance floor. He finally saw her, busily talking to her son and Stephanie. To Adam, it looked like Mrs. Heyman might have had one too many cocktails. She was overly animated in her movements and was a little too loud when she laughed. Brock looked slightly embarrassed and Stephanie appeared to be trying to keep Brock's mother calm.

"Looks like the President's family isn't so... proper after all." Adam whispered back in Roman's ear.

"I feel sorry for Brock. Yes, I know what he did to Evan was inexcusable, but having a drinker in the family... why do you think Dean is so messed up sometimes. His mother was a real drunk... he had a hard childhood." Roman still spoke in a low whisper.

Adam nodded his head against Roman's shoulder. "I know. Seth told me a little. Dean wanted to open a bar so he could control the drinking..." Adam's thoughts and words were cut off when the music ended. The crowed applauded appreciatively.

When the next dance music began, some couples left the dance floor and others joined in. Wade led Mark off the floor. Shawn, Hunter, Roman and Adam stayed to dance.

Chris knew how much Wade enjoyed dancing so with Evan's approval, he approached the Wizard. "Mister Barrett, may I have the pleasure of this dance?" Chris asked politely with a slight bow.

Wade looked at Mark, who nodded with a smile. "Mark, take care of my boy." Chris winked at Evan, and took Wade to the dance floor.

Mark pulled Evan closer. "A little size difference between them..." he gave a bit of a laugh. Wade towered over Chris, yet Chris led Wade across the floor like a pro.

"Chris is good, but you weren't bad either. Mark, did something happen to Wade? The night Doctor Wyatt brought me to the house, and Wade helped me, I caught a brief flash of... crying in a cornfield..." Evan hesitated in his words, but he wanted to help if he could.

Mark sighed deeply. He figured it was probably best to tell Evan the story, rather than have him get curious and read Wade's thoughts. So, he told Evan what Wade had gone through. "...there is no need to bring it up. Wade is doing better now, and..." Mark was cut off by Evan.

"Not to worry. Thank you for telling me. No wonder he was so good to me that night. I'm glad he's healing." Evan gave the older man's arm a pat.

Their conversation came to a halt when the music ended. Mark and Evan joined in the applause. They smiled when Chris and Wade returned. Wade was unaware of the conversation that had taken place between Evan and Mark.

The group of ghost hunters stood together around the bowl of punch. Hunter ladled out cups of the icy pink liquid. Adam and Evan filled two plates with finger foods. They all took their refreshments to one of the second floor sitting rooms. They were pleased to be the only ones in the room they chose... until...

"Oh, there you are! I was wondering where you'd gone! Thought you'd vanish like one of your little ghosties!" A very inebriated Mrs. Heyman came into the room. Her hair was a bit disheveled and her lipstick and mascara were slightly smeared.

Adam and the others glanced at each other with uncomfortable looks on their faces. Mrs. Heyman continued her inebriated speech. The drink she held in her hand sloshed around and threatened to spill from the glass.

"I don't know why Paulie is against you... I see things too, you know... my little Sarah visits me... she's dead you know... horse threw her... my sweet Sarah... could have been an Olympian... oh my baby... my sweet little baby..." Mrs. Heyman took a drink so deep, it drained the nearly full glass.

She stumbled a bit. Roman was closest to the woman. He quickly stood and kept her from falling. "Whoa there. I think you'd better sit down, Mrs. Heyman." Roman spoke calmly and gently eased her down into the chair he'd been sitting in.

The empathy coming from the woman was so strong, it began to shatter the locks on Evan's mental blocking door. "I can't... she's tearing the locks." Evan whispered and grabbed the sides of his head with his hands.

Adam went to Evan and knelt at the young empaths feet. "Hold on Evan. Remember, when the locks shatter, open the door, then close it again and set stronger locks. You can do this." He spoke rather sharply, Adam had to get Evan to focus.

Evan looked hard at Adam. He saw the encouragement in the hazel eyes of his mentor and drew strength from Adam. Evan closed his own eyes. He opened all the locks on his blocking door. Then for a brief moment, he opened it.

During that single moment, empathic thoughts swept into his mind like a whirlwind. Wade crying in the cornfield, Mrs. Heyman's brokenhearted thoughts of her daughter, Mark in despair over Wade... he slammed the mental door so hard it made Evan jump in the physical world. He reinforced it with heavy, sliding bolt locks and added a few chains with padlocks.

When Evan reopened his eyes, he felt stronger. "It worked, but, the things that came in when I opened the door... were like a flood. Will I ever be able to control that, pick out only one thought at a time?" He looked at Adam with anxious eyes. He was slightly pale from his experience.

"Yes, eventually. It will all come under control, with time. You're doing really well. Just be patient. Doing anything in a hurry can lead to disaster." Adam gave Evan a hug of encouragement. Chris smiled, he*d left it to Adam to help Evan. Chris knew, at times, Evan needed Adam more, it was important to his training.

While Adam had been helping Evan, Roman and Hunter worked to sober up Mrs. Heyman. Shawn had found some good, strong coffee at the catering station. He filled two cups and took them back to where the others were on the second floor sitting room. Mark and Wade blocked the door to keep curious eyes from seeing the wife of the University President in such a state.

"Don't want coffee... more vodka... Sarah comes to me... but... she won't talk to me... oh why won't she talk to me?" Mrs. Heyman gave a hiccuped sob.

Adam went to the distraught woman. He sat on a footstool next to her chair. He took the broken woman's hand in his. To be honest, he thought she was more emotional than truly drunk.

"Missus Heyman, you might not remember, but I'm a psychic medium. If you like, I can try to talk to Sarah for you." Adam spoke calmly and softly.

Mrs. Heyman looked at Adam. Her eyes were red and puffy, tears threatened to bubble over in waterfalls. There was a glimmer of hope in them.

"You will do no such thing! I will not have my wife led on by one more charlatan! This University will no longer provide a legitimate name to your type of fakery! Now leave my house! All of you!" Paul Heyman shouted at the top of his voice. Hatred glared in his eyes. His hand pointed to the door as he shook with rage.

Roman looked at Adam... their world had just collapsed.


	12. Revelations

_**A/N:** Sorry this is a bit late, but I had issues with my computer monitor. I now have new one, so better late than never! Thank you all for your continued support for the story. Lady Dragonsblood._

Paul Heyman stood in a red faced rage, his hand pointed at the door. "I said get out of my house. I didn't want any of you here, but, your invitations were sent by accidental habit. My poor Molly has suffered enough. Now leave her alone and get out!" He had stopped yelling, but his anger was intact.

As Paul stood in the doorway of the second floor sitting room, behind him, guests were discretely leaving the party. They knew it was over and it was just better to leave.

Adam stood up to leave, but Mrs. Heyman grabbed his hand. "No, please. Paul, please he can talk to her, I know he can... oh Paul... please?" She'd turned in her chair to look at her husband. She begged with her drink clouded eyes.

Paul stepped further into the room. Mark and Wade stood back, after all this was Paul Heyman's house. Paul went to stand by his wife's chair.

"Molly, dear. No. No, he _can't_ talk to Sarah. No one can talk to the dead. They are _all_ charlatans, charging money to pull tricks on desperate people. I've paid thousands since the day she died. Enough is enough. Now, Reigns take your husband, your little ghost hunting friends and get out of my house and off my campus! Forever! The Regents just voted to end the Paranormal Studies Department as of an hour ago!" If possible, his eyes would have bugged out of his head. Paul's cheeks were ruddy with rage. He extended his hand even further as he kept pointing toward the door.

Roman felt utterly defeated. His usually proud head hung down, his shoulders drooped. All he could think of were his Doctoral students, some of them were nearly ready to sit for their dissertations.

Adam glanced over at his beloved husband. His heart shattered at the sight of Roman looking so beaten. Adam's blood boiled. He spun around and leveled his stony gaze at President Heyman. What did he have to lose now?

"President Heyman, I don't care that you think I'm a fake. I'm not, but, it's your right to believe or not. I have _never_ , nor have any members of the College Hill Ghost Hunters ever taken one red cent, and we never will. I can't and won't charge desperate, despondent people money to help them. That's all I want to do... help people. Believe it or not, I did not ask to be born with psychic abilities. It drove me to despair as a child. If it hadn't been for Bray Wyatt, I'd probably be living at Independence right now. I would like the chance to help Missus Heyman, please?" Adam somehow remained calm and soft spoken, even though he was absolutely livid. Anger he knew, would get him no where.

Heyman looked hard at Adam. His eyes went from nearly bugged out to narrowed, viperous slits. "Okay, you don't take money, but what about 'donations'"? His fingers curled into quote marks on the last word he spoke.

"Never. We don't accept gifts or money. How can we take from those in need. We all put in what we can afford to buy equipment and pay for travel." Adam answered honestly. As he thought before, he had nothing to lose.

Paul Heyman relaxed a bit. He looked at his wife. She hadn't been the same since Sarah died. They had met when Sarah was twelve and Brock was ten. Molly was beautiful, and worked hard to provide for her two children. Her first husband had died six months after Brock had been born.

Molly had taken a job as a secretary at a community college in Minneapolis. Paul had eventually been hired to be the Dean. He wanted a good secretary and Molly Lesnar was recommended to him. It was nearly love at first sight.

They dated for several months before Molly felt it was time for Paul to meet her children. Sarah had taken to Paul instantly, while Brock stood back. Brock had never had a man in his life, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. That was how their relationship stayed.

Paul and Molly married. Paul gave Sarah everything she wanted. She had a natural talent with horses and was a fine Equestrian. She entered and won many show jumping competitions. Sarah had the eyes of the U.S. Olympic Equestrian Team on her.

Sarah entered a major show, down in Des Moines. The coach of the Olympic team was going to be there, to make his final decision about taking Sarah on. Sarah was doing excellent, she was headed for the last and highest jump. Suddenly her horse threw a shoe, misstepped and sent Sarah sailing over his head. Sarah crashed, head first into the bottom, solid brick support of the jump. It broke her neck and she died instantly. Later, Paul shot her horse between the eyes.

Molly immediately went to pieces and started to drink. Brock retreated even further away and spent all his time at the gym. Life in the Heyman house had changed in an instant.

Paul thought his broken family needed a change. Three years ago, he applied for and was duly appointed President of Northern Iowa University. At first, Paul was pleased. Brock had made the varsity football team his first year of college and Molly seemed happy redoing the house more to their personal taste.

Heyman soon found out that Molly was spending hundreds upon hundreds of dollars going to any psychic in this part of the State. Instead of truly helping his wife, they would lure her back with knowledge about Sarah that could be found in newspapers or public records.

Heyman began to not just hate psychics, but loathed anything to do with the paranormal world. He hated the fact that the University had a Paranormal Studies Department, that even offered a Doctorate. To him, that just meant a charlatan could charge more for false reassurance from beyond the grave. He vowed to put an end to the program. Tonight, he had done it.

Paul looked at his wife. Against his better judgment he caved in. "Alright Molly, dear. If Professor Reigns is willing to, you can have a reading. I'm warning you Professor, upset her further and I'll press legal charges, understand?" Heyman glared at Adam with hatred.

Roman pulled himself together, like Adam, he had had nothing to lose now. "No, Adam. It's time for us to leave. I will not have your honesty nor your gift questioned. President Heyman, I hope you know the years of study and hard work you just destroyed by closing the department. Missus Heyman, I'm so sorry for your loss. Adam, lets go home." His voice was firm. Roman's eyes returned the hatred Heyman had shown his husband.

The hope that had been in Molly Heyman's eyes went out like a burned out light bulb. She slumped back in the chair. A single tear rolled out of her eye, down her cheek and landed in her empty drink glass.

Adam looked from Molly to Roman. "No, Roman. I can't just leave. If I can help, I will. You can all leave if you want, but I can't." He hoped Roman would understand.

Roman sighed. He should have known Adam would feel that way. "If that's what you want, you know I'll stand by you. Adam is right though, you all can leave, no need for you to stay." He looked at their friends with a tiny smile.

Mark stepped forward. "No need for us to leave either. We always stand together. This is no different." His voice was just as firm as Roman's had been. The others all nodded in agreement.

"Chris, I want you to take Evan home. Evan, you aren't ready yet. Please understand. Your mental health is important. Sometimes, I put out a lot of empathic energy, and you're not that strong, not yet. Your time will come, I promise. Please?" Adam looked at Evan in earnest.

Evan had disappointment in his eyes "I understand. I don't like it, but I understand. Come on Chris, Adam cares about what happens to me. If he says I need to leave, then I need to leave." He took Chris' hand and gently pulled.

Chris and Evan said their good byes and left. On the way down the stairs, they ran into Brock and Stephanie. Automatically Chris pulled Evan up against him.

Evan noticed Brock looked extremely worried. "Your mom is in the sitting room, off the ballroom. Adam is going to try to... help your mom." He didn't really know how Brock would react, so he avoided saying psychic reading.

Brock nodded. "Thanks. Come on Steph, mom needs me." He led Stephanie up the stairs, past Chris and Evan. He never thought twice about Evan being with the History Professor, he didn't care.

Chris and Evan left the Seerly House. Evan couldn't wait for the day when he could really be useful to the College Hill Ghost Hunters.

In the sitting room, Adam and Molly had moved to the couch so they could sit together. Paul sat in the chair his wife had occupied. Before Adam could speak, Brock and Stephanie entered the room.

"What's going on. Mom are you alright?" Brock looked at his mother with worry in his eyes.

Molly gave Brock a weak, half smile. "I'm fine, son. Professor Reigns is going to try to talk to your sister." She had hope in both her eyes and her voice.

Brock scoffed. "How much did you pay him? Another fake? Mother, enough. Sarah is dead, the sooner you realize that..." he was cut off when his mother let out a whimper of despair. Brock knelt down at his mother's feet and took her hands in his.

Before Brock could say anything further, Stephanie McMahon spoke up. "Brock, Adam doesn't charge anything to help people. Trust me, he _is_ for real. Brie, Nikki and I went on an investigation with Adam and his group. I _saw_ him... trust me, please, Brock. Let Adam try." Stephanie spoke firmly but softly. She looked at Brock with sincerity.

Brock looked at Stephanie. "Alright. You never told me that. You should have. Mom, just... be careful." He kissed his mother's cheek and moved to sit in a chair across from the couch. Stephanie sat in the chair Shawn vacated for her. She took Brock's hand in hers.

Stephanie had been devastated to hear that President Heyman had met with the Officers of the Regents to obtain the closing of the Paranormal Department. She was upset, not only for Roman and Adam, but for herself as well. She'd spent hours and hours working on the article about the CHGH and the Paranormal Studies at NIU. She hoped, if Sarah came through, the President would change his mind.

All eyes focused on Adam, none more so than those of President Heyman. "Do you have something that belonged to Sarah?" Adam asked Molly Heyman.

Molly nodded. She took off a ring that was on her right pinkie finger. It was a simple horseshoe nail ring. "Sarah had the farrier make it for her. It came from a shoe her horse wore when she won her first show. She always gave it to me for safe keeping during competitions." She explained as she handed Adam the ring.

Adam's eyes flicked to each person in the room. "I ask you to be as still and quiet as possible. You may think nothing is happening, but it is. My grandmother is my spirit guide. Sometimes it takes her a while to find the spirit in question. Also, sometimes, a spirit won't come, and I never force, that's disrespectful. So, from the time I close my eyes, please, be patient." The medium gave his instructions in a soft, but firm voice.

Adam saw that everyone understood. He closed his fist around the ring, then closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and began to concentrate on his grandmother.

Roman never wished more in his life that he had his FLIR camera, but there was nothing he could do about it... or was there. Roman heard a noise at the door. He grinned like a Cheshire cat. Chris Jericho stood there, slightly breathless. He held Roman's CHGH investigation pack.

Roman went to the door. He and Chris stepped across the hall to the now empty ballroom. "Thought you might want this. Jason drove me back with his blue lights." Chris gave Roman a wink and handed the Doctor of Parapsychology his pack.

"Jericho, I owe you big time. Thanks, man. If I ever needed this, it's now. Maybe, just maybe, If Adam can do this, we might still have a Paranormal Department. Tell Jason thanks too. Is Evan alright? I know he feels left out." Roman fixed his FLIR camera for use as he spoke. His fingers flew over the cameras controls.

"Glad I could help. We're a team, no matter what. If one of us is in trouble, we all are. Evan is fine, he's in the patrol car with Jason. He's a bit salty, but he really knows down deep it's for his own good and he won't go against Adam. He's so mature for his age, he acts more mature than I do for the most part. I guess being... like he is, makes you grow up fast. Now go, save your job. Good luck." Chris gave Roman a quick hug. He left to join Evan for a ride home from Jason.

Roman thanked God for their friends. He put the last cord in place and went back across the hall. He silently focused his camera on Adam, and prayed something positive would happen.

While Roman had been across the hall, Adam, unaware of Roman's actions was in deep concentration. He used psychometry with Sarah's ring to enhance his chances of calling her spirit.

Adam mentally called out for his grandmother. " _Grandmother, please come. If ever I needed you, it's now. Please grandma, your little Addy needs you._ " He concentrated harder. He could feel his mental powers as they stretched.

Roman gave a small smile as the rainbow aura began to appear. It was faint at first, then when Adam deepened his concentration, the aura brightened.

From where Roman stood, everyone but Paul Heyman could see what the FLIR camera saw. Stephanie silently mouthed to Brock. "Watch." She also pointed to the flip screen of the camera.

Brock could see how excited Stephanie was. He decided they needed to have a talk. Was that big article she was working on about all of this? He became entranced with the kaleidoscope of colors on the camera's screen.

Adam stretched his thoughts even further. " _Oh grandmother, please. I need you._ " If he had been speaking aloud, he would have been shouting.

Adam smiled, he heard his grandmother's voice. It was faint and distant. " _I'm here, Addy. I know you need me. I'm calling for Sarah. Ask her mother the question..._ " the voice faded away.

The psychic slowly opened his eyes. Molly watched him intently. "Missus Heyman, my grandmother is looking for Sarah. Did you have a special pet name for her? Something my grandmother could say so Sarah would know _you_ are asking for her? Sometimes, spirits can be frightened if they are being called." Adam explained as best he could.

Heyman rolled his eyes a bit. Like the others... get Molly talking, then use the information and say it's Sarah. He'd stop this right now, but he didn't want Molly any more upset. So for now, he kept quiet.

Molly nodded. "Yes, I understand. I called her Sweet Roll. You know... Sara Lee, the baked goods. Silly I know, but she liked it. She..." Adam placed a hand on Molly's arm.

"Please. That's all I need. Don't tell me anything. Just answer any questions I might ask you as simply as possible." Adam's voice was calm, his touch gentle.

Molly took comfort and relaxed. Adam was so different from the other psychics she been to. She nodded at Adam's request.

Paul Heyman's brow arched. He'd never heard a psychic medium tell Molly _not_ to speak too much. He had to hand it to Reigns' husband, he was very personable. He continued to closely observe what was happening.

With a nod, Adam once again closed his eyes. He mentally spoke. " _Grandmother, ask for Sweet Roll. Also, tell her I'm holding her horseshoe nail ring."_

The others who watched were amazed. The rainbow aura took a slight pulsation. "The pulse of the aura will match Adam's heart rate." Hunter leaned over and barely whispered the information in Brock's ear.

Brock nodded, he was starting to find the situation interesting. He'd gone with his mother to a couple of her psychic readings. It was nothing like this. One woman had so many candles and incense burning he was sure the smell made a person feel weak and faint. A way to make his mother think she was "feeling" something. At least Professor Reigns didn't seem to need those kinds of "tricks".

The aura, while still there, had faded to almost nothing. The only thing Roman wished was that he knew exactly what Adam was doing mentally in relation to the brightness and pulsation of the aura. Like now, when it was so faint, was Adam simply waiting in psychic limbo for communication to begin? If he asked Adam, he was afraid he'd cause the communication to be lost. Maybe Seth could invent something that would somehow translate Adam's thoughts.

Roman now saw the aura brighten. He observed that Adam seemed to stiffen, his eyes closed harder. Adam again smiled mentally, he knew his grandmother was there and she wasn't alone.

" _Addy, it's grandmother. I found Sarah. She was scared, but I told her that her mother wanted to talk to her. When I called her Sweet Roll, she laughed. Sarah, come child, don't be afraid. My grandson, Adam wants to talk to you. Your mother is with him, so is your brother."_ Adam's grandmother spoke in a slightly sing song voice to a spirit hidden in the psychic mists.

Adam "heard" a young girls voice. _"Brock is there too?"_ She asked in a curious tone. She still kept herself hidden in the mental mist.

Adam threw more concentration towards the voice. _"Yes, he is. Your mom and step-father are here too. I can talk to them for you. You tell me what to say, and I'll say it, I promise. I don't lie. Would you like to say hello to Brock?"_ He asked softly. He could feel Sarah's spirit become more curious.

Sarah spoke, her tone was still cautious. _"Tell him I miss my Brock-a-doodle-doo."_ She laughed as she used the nickname she gave Brock when he was a toddler. She thought his laugh sounded like a rooster.

Adam laughed, both out loud and mentally. _"Alright. Give me a moment, while I speak in the physical world. I'll be back. My grandmother will stay with you."_ He explained to Sarah.

Adam opened his eyes. It took him a moment to return to the physical world. Molly saw his eyes open. "Why did you laugh?" She couldn't imagine anything humorous about the situation.

Adam looked at Sarah's mother. "She came. She knows Brock is here..." he turned to the football player. "She said to tell you, she misses her Brock-a-doodle-doo. That's why I laughed. She giggled as she said it." He watched to see if Brock would react.

Brock's eyes grew wide. His mouth moved a few times before he could actually speak. "Oh my god... you really _can_ talk to her... nobody ever called me that but Sarah... no way could you have ever known that... Oh Sarah... my sweet sister. I miss her too. She was the best big sister ever. Mom?" He looked over at his mother, He was absolutely awe struck.

Molly smiled brightly. "Brock is right. There is no way anyone could know that nickname. Sarah thought, when Brock was little, he laughed like a rooster. Oh it is her. Paul... please... please see that not all psychics are gold diggers. People like Doctor Wyatt, Doctor Reigns and Professor Reigns are real. They want to help... Please, Adam tell her I love her... Paul loves her too. Is she happy? Is she in any pain? Is she alone?" Molly almost spoke faster than her lipstick smeared mouth could move.

Adam laid a gentle hand on Molly's arm. "Be easy. You'll get the answers to all your questions, but you can't ask them all at once. Now, be patient, I'll speak to her again." His voice was still calm and soothing.

Molly looked at Adam. "I just want to know if she's happy." Her eyes were filled with a mothers love and hope.

Adam nodded. He tightened his grip on the horseshoe nail ring and closed his eyes. His telepathic communication began again. _"Sarah, sweetheart, I'm back. Are you here?"_ He called out to the nether world.

This time, Sarah appeared with Adam's grandmother. He could never make out clear features, but he did see misty white forms. _"I'm here. Is momma happy? And Poppa Paul? I miss Poppa Paul. Will you tell him something? He doesn't have to feel bad, I understand why he shot Sprocket. He was angry, but it wasn't Sprocket's fault. It wasn't Poppa Paul's fault either. I know he feels guilty."_ For a fourteen year old, she was very mature and well spoken.

" _I will. Your mom wants to know if your happy? And if you are in any pain?"_ Adam asked the spirit girl.

" _I'm fine, there is no pain. I didn't feel any pain when I died either. Tell her I get to see daddy, and he's glad she found love again. Granny and Grampy are happy too. Heaven is a good word for it."_ Sarah again spoke wiser than her years.

Adam could feel the spirits happiness. _"Alright. I may be gone for a while, but I will be back. I have to speak to your family."_ He spoke with gentle assurance.

Adam's aura pulsated brightly, then as he came back to the physical world, it faded once again. When his eyes opened, it nearly vanished.

Adam looked at Paul. "She said to tell you, she loves you, Poppa Paul. Sarah also said she understood why you killed Sprocket, but it wasn't his fault. She also said it wasn't your fault either, it just happened. She is in no pain. Sarah felt no pain when she died..." Adam then switched his gaze to Molly. "She sees her daddy and he is glad you found love again. Sarah said Granny and Grampy are happy and that Heaven is the perfect name for it. I must add, that she is very mature and so well spoken. She wanted to know, are Momma and Poppa Paul happy?" Adam looked from Molly back to Paul.

Paul Heyman couldn't believe the things Adam was saying. He did carry the guilt of Sarah's death in his soul. He should have made sure Sprocket's shoes were secure. He'd always checked them before each competition. That day he'd gotten caught up in other matters and forgot. He took his anger out on Sprocket and felt guilty about it later. Sarah had adored that horse. Before he could stop them, tears filled his eyes.

Molly looked at her husband. She reached out and took his hand. "It wasn't our fault, Paul. Like Sarah told Adam, it just happened. We've wasted so much time feeling guilty. I drank, you took lovers. Paul, we both have to stop. I love you, and I want our happy marriage back... please, tell me you do too, please? She spoke from her heart. Molly squeezed Paul's hand. She had more hope and love in her eyes than Paul had seen in a long, long time.

Paul sighed. "I didn't know you knew about... the others. I am sorry, dearest heart. You're right, so very right. We do need to stop. I will if you will. I love you, I always have... we not only blamed ourselves, we blamed each other... we never just... talked about it." He held Molly's hands gently. His eyes held the same love filled hope.

No one had noticed when Shawn, Hunter, Mark and Wade left the room. When the talk between the Heyman's turned personal, Shawn decided it was time to step out of the room. They quietly went downstairs to wait for Roman and Adam. Shawn hoped, with Adam's help, the Heyman's would find peace.

Brock looked at his mother and step-father. "I blamed him..." Brock muttered softly. Stephanie sweetly caressed her boyfriends face.

Paul spoke to Brock. "It's alright, Brock. It doesn't matter anymore. I love you, I always have. We _all_ need to heal; as a family. I will love and support you, and I am so proud of you." He said the things he should have said years ago, but never did.

Brock's eyes grew wide. "You... you're proud of me? You're the only father I've ever known. I do love you Poppa Paul. I'm sorry I never told you. Mom, are you really going to stop drinking?" The emotions flowed from his heart. His words were hesitant, but he meant them.

Conversations like this used to make Adam and Roman feel like intruders. Now, with many family healings under their belts, they felt good about it. Adam was proud of his ability to help bring families back together. It wasn't ego, it wasn't that kind of pride. It was humility and thankfulness for his psychic gift. What had once been a curse to Adam, was now a blessing.

Adam heard his grandmother calling him back to the psychic plane. _"Addy, is everything alright? Sarah is getting worried. You've been gone a very long time."_ His grandmother sounded very concerned.

" _Sorry, grandma. Sarah's parents and brother are doing some much needed healing..."_ Adam was interrupted by the spirit of Sarah Lesnar.

" _Healing? Are they fighting?"_ Sarah too sounded worried. As a spirit, she was aware of somethings, but not everything.

Adam sighed mentally. _"Not fighting. They took the guilt of your death out on each other. Grief can do things to a person. But, your coming to talk to me has helped them. They are working on talking, they will be fine, with time. Is there anything else you would like to say to your family?"_

" _Yes. Please tell mom that daddy really is happy. He thinks Paul is a great addition to the family. Adam, please, tell Brock to give Paul a chance. I'm sorry that my riding took his attention away from him. I just want them happy..."_ Her spiritual words faded, she didn't know what to do to help her family.

Adam went back to the world of the living. "I don't mean to interrupt, but Sarah is worried. Once again, she wants you to know that her daddy said he was happy and that Paul was good for the family. Brock, Sarah is sorry her riding took so much attention away from you. She wants you to be happy and wishes there was more she could say that would help." He finished relaying Sarah's message.

Molly looked from Paul to her son. "I didn't realize you felt so left out, son. I'm so sorry." She held her arms out to her child.

Brock suddenly felt like a little boy again. There was no place on earth, safer than being in his mother's embrace. He slid from the chair and while on his knees, fell into his mother's waiting arms.

Brock wept. It was the first time since Sarah had died he'd let his emotions out. He clung to his mother and Paul laid a hand on his step-son's shoulder.

Roman put down the camera. Somethings just needed to remain private. He'd only been recording when Adam was in communication. He and Adam exchanged a glance. No matter what Heyman thought of them, or the Paranormal Studies Department, the couple were glad to see healing taking place with the Heyman family.

Paul Heyman looked at Adam. "You tell little Sweet Roll that we're gonna be just fine. She helped us a lot, knowing she's happy. I think I'll always feel a bit guilty, but to know she doesn't blame me helps. I... thank you... I just pray this isn't some... ruse..." Paul was halted by Brock.

"It's no ruse... no one, except Sarah and mom called me Brock-a-doodle-doo, no one. I don't... those other mediums mom went to, never came up with that. If there was _one_ thing Sarah could have said to prove it was really her, it would be Brock-a-doodle-doo. I believe Professor Reigns..." Brock paused and looked from Paul to Adam. He continued.

"Thank you, Sir. I truly believe you spoke to my sister. Tell her I love her and always will. I wish we could have had more time together. I never got the chance to scare her first boyfriend. I'll never know how beautiful she would have looked in a wedding gown. I'll never have any nieces or nephews. But, as sad as that makes me, I am at peace now, knowing she is happy in Heaven. I thank you for that, Professor. More than you will ever be able to know." Brock finished with a sniff and a nod of deep respect to Adam.

Molly caressed her son's damp cheek. "I think that's the most I've heard you say at one time in years. That was beautiful son, you should speak more often. I can _never_ make up for the time together we've lost, but I will be here for you now. I promise. I love you, son. Don't ever doubt that." She pulled Brock in for another big hug.

Adam's lips quivered slightly. "I... have been thanked many times, but never so honestly. I am humbled, Brock. Thank you, for sharing something so personal. I need to let Sarah go now. I'll give her your message. Anything else?" He asked Sarah's family with a smile that enhanced his beautiful, shining eyes.

Paul spoke for his family. "We love her, we miss her and hopefully, someday, we'll be together again. Also, thank her for bringing us back together."

Adam gave a nod and closed his eyes. Roman once again focused the camera on Adam. The aura was bright and pulsated in a steady beat. Adam was in communication with Sarah.

Adam finished telling Sarah everything Brock, her mother and step-father had said. The white mist of Sarah's spiritual aura glowed like brilliant lightning. Adam knew that mean she was truly happy.

When Sara spoke again, her voice was faint. She was fading back to her realm. _"I love them all... glad... happy... watching... over... them... thank... you..."_ And she vanished, back to the world of spirits.

Adam thanked his grandmother and bid her farewell. When he opened his eyes, he was visibly drained. Roman always hated the pale color Adam's face took on, even though by now he expected it. It wasn't easy to see the person you love look so drained. Roman quickly put up his FLIR camera and went to Adam.

Roman knelt at Adam's feet. He gently brushed Adam's cheek with his fingers. "Are you alright, baby?" His eyes were filled with concern. Adam took comfort in Roman's gentle touches as he nuzzled against Roman's hand.

"I'm fine, just the usual. Although, she was so strong. It didn't drain me as much. She was the happiest spirit I've encountered in a long time..." Adam paused and turned his attention to the Heyman family. "I hope I was able to help. Sarah is a delightful person... well, spirit. They are still people, they just lost their corporal form. We'll go now. I need to rest." Adam smiled at Molly Heyman.

"Thank you, so very much. We can be a real family again. You are responsible for that." Molly gave Adam a hug. Brock shook Adam's hand, he remained silent, his eyes expressed his thanks.

Paul Heyman stood. "I do thank you. I guess you do have a gift. However, if you did this to save your husband's Paranormal Department... it didn't work." He spoke firmly. Any warmth or kind emotions he'd had during Sarah's visit were gone.

Fire replaced the tired look in Adam's hazel eyes. "No, Sir. I did not do this for Roman. I did it for your wife and step-son, and for you. If you chose to close the department, that's your right. I helped your family, that's payment enough. I really hope this has brought you together and some much needed healing has begun. Some day, despite people like you, my husband and Bray Wyatt will prove, scientifically, that things like my gift are real. Too bad NIU won't get the credit for that. Brock, Missus Heyman, if you need further help, please don't hesitate to call me. I'll always help you. Good night and good luck." He glared at Paul. When he turned to Molly and Brock, he smiled with genuine warmth. Molly hugged him and Adam was satisfied. That was all the payment he wanted.

Roman said nothing, but his dark eyes glared at Paul Heyman. After all Adam had done? He vowed, then and there he would prove Adam's gift was real and hopefully, another University would get credit.

Molly turned and looked at her husband. Paul nodded. "Roman, I am not going to close the Department. Once Adam said he wasn't doing it for any reason but to help... I knew he was for real. You go, go and prove the other side really does exist. I hope there are no lingering hard feelings?" He offered his hand to Roman.

Roman nearly fainted with relief. He loved NIU and hadn't wanted to leave. "Thank you, oh thank you. You won't be sorry, I promise." He shook the President's hand. Maybe he should have refused, but his love for the college kept him in check. Now his Doctoral students were safe, all thanks to Adam.

Later that night, Roman showed Adam just how thankful he was. He brought Adam to eruption so many times, all Adam could do was lay there, unmoving in cum and sweat soaked sheets. Adam fell into a deep sleep, curled in Roman's arms.

Thanks to Adam's gift, the Paranormal program was safe... but... there were other dangers out there... just waiting... waiting.


	13. The Turn of the Year

The year ended on a high note. Paul Heyman had been true to his word, and now fully supported the Paranormal Studies Department. So much so, Roman and Adam were moved into the bigger office of Bray Wyatt. Dean Bray Wyatt was moved to a huge office on the lower floor of the Paranormal Studies Building.

Bray was most grateful to Adam. Without his gift, they all would have been looking for new jobs. Bray's happiness was completed when the day before New Year's Eve, Erick Rowan and Luke Harper moved to their new farm. The small farm was located just across Hudson Road. The road made up the western border of the NIU campus.

Molly Heyman went to the Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at Shawn's church. It was hard, but she gave up drinking. Paul also stopped his affair with Regent Layfield. It wasn't an emotional bust up, but Paul did thank John for being there for him. John wished Paul luck and it was over. Now John was free to chase his new secretary, Michael Cole, around the desk.

Brock Lesnar did some growing up as well. He told Stephanie everything about Evan. At first she was heart broken, but after a few days of crying, several pints of ice cream and long talks with Brie, she called Brock. Stephanie told him if he apologized to Evan, she would take him back, on trial.

Brock agreed. He asked Evan to meet him at the underground Student Union. He told Evan he could bring someone with him, because he was bringing Stephanie. When Evan asked him, Chris said of course he'd go. Brock apologized from his heart and wished Evan and Chris well. So, all was good between Brock, Stephanie and Evan.

On New Year's Eve, the group of ghost hunters went to the midnight fireworks display the science students produced every year. They always came up with a spectacular finale. This time the final burst of fireworks exploded into an outline of Leo the Lion, in gold and purple sparks.

On the walk back to Olive Street from the stadium, Mark pulled Wade away from the group. Roman kept everyone else walking and talking to keep them from noticing Mark and Wade had left the group.

Mark took Wade to one of the benches around the Campanile. Earlier the bells had played during the fireworks, but now, they were silent. Mark indicated for Wade to sit. Wade did as he was asked.

Mark paced a bit. Then, as lf to indicate he'd made up his mind, knelt at Wade's feet and proposed. Wade was shocked. He'd hoped to marry Mark one day, but he never pushed. He knew Mark wasn't the marrying type, or so he'd thought.

Wade only needed a nanosecond to answer. He said yes with great emotion in his heart. The next surprise came when Mark pulled out a black velvet box. Wade gasped when he saw the ring.

The design of the ring was a spider's web. The silver wasn't thin and delicate, but the intricate open weave made it look that way. A tiny spider sat in the middle of the ring. The arachnid had been created from a black diamond, with a tiny, ruby hour glass, marking the spider as a Black Widow. To Wade, the Black Widow was a lucky omen. Mark had remembered that. With a smile, Mark slipped the ring on Wade's finger. The newly engaged couple kissed passionately as a single bell rang, the first hour of the new year had passed.

The next day, Roman and Adam gave Mark and Wade a small engagement party at The Lunatic Fringe. The couple didn't know when the wedding would be, but they asked the Reigns' to be their best men. Roman and Adam were pleased and honored and agreed to perform the required duties.

In early February, the routine had settled. Adam and Bray were able to resume Evan's empathic control training. The young man was doing extremely well.

"Alright, Evan. Now, you have mastered keeping your door locked. I want you to open your door and try to focus on the normal world. Adam will be firing thoughts at you, and I will be thinking about something emotional. Try to tune us out, and keep your mind clear. Take a deep breath, close your eyes and unlock. When you're ready, open your eyes." Bray instructed Evan. Now would begin the hardest part of Evan's empathic control.

Chris Jericho sat at the Reigns' kitchen table. He lit yet another cigarette, then sipped his coffee. Roman sat with Chris, they were both supposed to be grading papers. Only Roman had managed to get any work done. Chris just smoked and tapped his red correcting pen on the nearly overflowing ash tray.

"Buddy, I'm not one to complain, but if I get lung cancer, Adam _will_ kill you. I thought you'd promised Evan to cut down?" Roman half joked as he wrote a comment on the paper he was grading.

Chris shook himself. He looked at the ash tray in astonishment. "Did I smoke all those?" he looked at Roman, his blue eyes wide, brow furrowed.

Roman chuckled. "With one exception, yeah, you did. Guess your mind is in the basement? You know Evan is fine. Adam won't let anything happen to his cub." He got up to make another pot of coffee and crack the window open.

Chris nodded. "I know, but I worry. I still can't get over Heyman doing a one eighty on your department. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he did, but he was so vehement about closing it." He now chewed on the end of his red grading pencil.

Roman sat back down. "I guess he was truly impressed with Adam. Mainly, the fact that we don't take money helped as well. He must have spent an absolute fortune on fakes... or unscrupulous psychics. Whatever the reason, I'm glad. He's even considering letting CHGH investigate Bartlett Hall." He shuffled his papers, ready to grade the next one.

Chris' brow arched. "Really? Never thought he'd let that happen. I hope Evan is alright. You know, I'm really falling in love with that boy. I wish I was... younger," He sighed deeply and began to try to grade the paper in front of him.

Roman looked at his friend. He could see that Chris was worried about more than what was going on downstairs. He wasn't exactly sure what to say. He was older than Adam, but only by five years. Twenty was a huge gap. But, did it really matter?

"No, no! Evan concentrate! Try again!" Bray spoke sharply to the young empath.

Evan sighed, took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Adam sent rapid mental images, while Bray thought of watching Erick hoeing the small kitchen garden. Evan worked to focus on nothing.

At first he mixed up Adam's pictures with a hoe. He took another deep breath and pushed the thoughts from his mind. Soon, the images were more like an annoying fly. He pushed harder and the images and thoughts vanished. Evan's mind only contained the box of laundry soap on the shelf in front of him.

"I did it! I really did it! I made them go away!" Evan cried out happily. For the first time in ages, his mind wasn't filled with the thoughts of others. He was thrilled.

Bray and Adam smiled. Adam spoke. "Excellent. Now, lock your door. No need to push. It's more taxing than you think. Bray, three hours is enough. Evan needs to rest." Adam sounded like a worried parent.

Bray laughed. "Yes, momma. Seriously, Evan... you are doing really well. Now, shut your door, and I'll be back on Friday. Practice, but don't over do." He stood and stretched. The three men said their good nights.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Roman spoke to Chris. "... so does age really matter? You're a lot younger than you are, you're fit, you front a band. You do yoga and work out. Evan is older than his years, because he's had to grow up fast with his empathy. You compliment each other. Young at heart and worldly wise. I know I'm rambling, but damn it, age is just a number." He threw up his hands. Roman hoped he'd helped, but he was bad at this type of thing.

"Yeah, you're right. Age is a number. I guess I shouldn't worry, Evan doesn't. Thanks, Roman." He gave his friend a gentle nudge with his elbow.

Their attention turned to the door. Chris and Roman smiled as Evan and Adam entered the apartment. The two older men stood and greeted their mates with soft kisses.

Chris, Evan and Roman sat at the table. Adam went to check the supper cooking in the crock pot. "It's ready, Islander. Set the table, please. Evan, get the tea from the fridge, please and if you would toss the salad, Chris we can eat." Adam issued the requests with a happy smile.

It wasn't long before the four men were enjoying the crock pot meal of Swiss steak, green beans and new potatoes. They also enjoyed a fresh tossed salad and iced tea.

Evan was excited as he told Chris how the training went. "... my mind was just... only the laundry soap... no voices, no thoughts of others. I'm learning, Chris. I'm really learning."

Chris beamed. He leaned over and kissed Evan's cheek with gravy smeared lips. "I'm proud of you, Evvy. Won't be long and you'll finally be in total control."

Evan laughed and wiped the gravy kiss with his napkin. Before he could respond, Heath called from the door, he sounded excited.

"Come on in, Heath." Adam called out to the red head. He stood and hugged Heath.

Heath refused the chair Adam offered. "No, I can't stay. Jason will be on break soon. I need to get his supper ready. I just wanted to tell you, I got a text message on on the CHGH cell phone. It asked if we remembered the pictures from the Brucemore. I responded that we did, but that the curator said they didn't allow paranormal investigations. I got an answer that said, try again. That was it. Should I?" He asked the leader of their group.

"Of course. I have a feeling our anonymous contact has something to do with the Brucemore. Can you call first thing in the morning?" Adam asked in a thoughtful tone and stroked his bearded chin.

Heath frowned. "I can't. I'm actually temping at Jay's station the rest of the week. The dispatcher has the flu."

"No problem, Heath. I have time in the morning. Working with Jason? Is that wise?" Adam teased with a wink.

Heath laughed. "Probably not. He had nothing to do with it, the Chief hired me. What Jaybird doesn't know won't hurt him now will it?" He winked at the four men at the table.

Adam shook his head. "You are the best person Jason could have married. He needed someone who could not only take his shit, but give it back. Have fun, but I'm sure you'll do a great job. Don't worry about the CHGH phone, leave it with me." He held out his hand for the cell phone.

"I appreciate that. I do wish Glenn would find us a space. I had hope for that place over the bakery. Oh well, I gotta run. Love you guys." Heath gave Adam the phone and with a wave, left the apartment.

"You mean he's going to work at Jason's police station, and he's not telling Jason? I thought... please don't be upset, but I thought... oh... never mind." Evan bit his lip. He never should have opened his mouth.

Chris looked at Evan. "Baby boy, nobody will be mad at you, speak up." He encouraged with a smile.

Evan looked at Chris. He took a deep breath. "Well, I thought marriage was about honesty..." he looked down at his plate of food and toyed with his fork.

Adam didn't exactly laugh, but he guffawed. "It is Evan. I'll tell you, aside from Roman, Jason is the best husband in the world. He worships Heath. However, as you well know, he can be a bit... of a handful. Heath won't take it and dishes it right back. That's why they are perfect for each other. Trust me, when it comes to the important things, they are there for each other. Let me add, never be afraid to ask us anything, we're a family. You're part of that family now." He reached over and ruffled the hair on Evan's head.

Evan laughed and continued to eat. Chris smiled. Hearing Evan so happy was the sweetest music in the world. He glanced at Adam and flashed him a white toothed smile of thanks.

The next day at work, Adam sat at his new desk by the large window. A light snow fell. He loved the snow, it reminded him of Canada. The he'd lived in Iowa since he was ten, Adam still felt Canadian, so did Chris, who had done the opposite of Adam. The snowfall made him remember how he met Chris Jericho.

When he was four, Chris' dad got a transfer from New York to Winnipeg, Alberta, Canada. Chris' father had been a famous hockey player. When his mom died suddenly, Chris' dad quit playing and became a coach.

Chris met Adam, because of his deceased mother. Adam had just joined the faculty at NIU, and was in the teacher's lounge of the building that at the time, housed both the Paranormal Studies Department and the History Department.

Adam tentatively approached Chris. He explained about his gift and proceeded to give Chris a message from his mother. Chris knew the message was real, and after that, became fast friends with Adam and Roman. When the College Hill Ghost Hunters began, Chris was the natural pick to be the historian. The rest is... history.

Adam was brought back to reality when the bell of the Campanile chimed. He had work to do. Adam pulled out the cell phone used for CHGH business. He quickly typed a text and hit send. It only took a couple of minutes for the phone to ring.

"College Hill Ghost Hunters, Adam Reigns here, how can I help you?" Adam answered in a professional voice.

Over the next few minutes, Adam had a very interesting conversation. As he thought, the send of the anonymous pictures _was_ on the Board of the Brucemore Historical Society. After a much heated debate, and a threat to pull her vast financial, support the Board agreed to let the College Hill Ghost Hunters do a one time only, one night investigation. There would be two stipulations. One they could not release any of the findings to the public and, two, if any spirits were present, Adam would not send them away.

The last stipulation bothered Adam, but he had to abide by the clients wishes. Besides, if a spirit chose to leave, there was nothing he could do to stop it. Spirits had free will, just as they did when they were alive. Adam told the lady the would come to Cedar Rapids on Saturday.

After the call ended, Adam sent a text message to the other CHGH members. He told them about Saturday. He apologized for the short notice, and understood if anyone couldn't make it. He hit send and went back to University work.

On Friday night, the CHGH met at The Lunatic Fringe. It was a push, but everyone, including Shawn and Hunter were able to go to Cedar Rapids for the weekend.

While Cedar Rapids was only an hour away, they needed to stay the weekend. Saturday night would be the investigation, and the would need to sleep on Sunday. Seth would run the data during the week, then Adam and Roman would make the trip again the following Saturday to deliver the results... if the anonymous client wished it.

"Shawn, I'm glad you can come with us, but what about Sunday?" Heath asked as he opened the spiral bound notebook he'd marked "BRUCEMORE".

Shawn smiled. "Got lucky. This is the Sunday the youth group does the service. They don't like me being there, I tend to make them nervous. I asked if they minded if I went out of town and they cheered. Not sure how I feel about that." He laughed as he rubbed his chin.

The others laughed as well. "I'm sure they love you. It's just easier for them without the "boss" around. Now, Chris. What are we dealing with?" Adam went back to business with an exhale of smoke.

Chris opened his own spiral bound notebook. "The Brucemore was built between eighteen eighty four and eighty six, by Missus Caroline Sinclair. The house is three stories with twenty one rooms. The steeply gabled roof has five chimneys and several turrets. It's done in the Queen Anne style. There is a formal garden, children's garden, night garden, a pond, orchard and a woodlands. It all sits on twenty one acres. The Sinclair's made their fortune in meat packing..." he paused and flipped to the next page.

Chris continued. "Three great families owned the house over the years. The Sinclair's, who as I said built the house. Next was the George Douglas'. He made his money in the making of starch. Douglas did some major renovations and turned the property into a country estate. His wife, Irene, directed the renovations. The last owner was Howard Hall. He was in manufacturing. His wife, Margret, is the one that left the house to the National Trust, and laid down all the rules. Can you imagine, a beautiful place like that and you can't have private functions, like weddings." Chris gave a shake of his head.

"It is a beautiful place. I can't wait to see it. What about paranormal activity?" Adam asked the groups historian with another exhale of smoke.

Chris ran his index finger down the page. "The first sighting was at the turn of the century, around nineteen-oh-five, when Douglas began the renovations. Some reports say Caroline Sinclair is seen on her birthday, doing the Lindy dance. However, the most common sighting is the apparition in the library. It's also the only room where the ghost is seen or heard. Reports of objects being moved from place to place, groaning and a disembodied laugh is heard. Sometimes, a glowing apparition is seen. When the first sightings came about, Douglas brought in a Parapsychologist from the University of Chicago to investigate. Nothing is known about his findings. The library is the only place paranormal activities occur." He finished giving his information with a nod.

Adam indicated for Heath to make notes. "Seth, bring the bear, could be a child spirit. A child likes to hide things and they are curious, so a child spirit would move objects. However, a child isn't likely to moan an groan. Bring everything. Evan, you're coming with us." He looked at the young man with a wink.

Evan's mouth fell open. He'd been happy to just be invited to the meeting. He never expected this. "I am? As an investigator?" He tried to contain his excitement.

Roman chuckled. "Well, no. you have a long way to go before you earn the title of Investigator. You're an Investigator-in-training. Be prepared to do grunt work, mostly running cables. We've all done it. Also, there are a couple of Golden Rules. One, never, ever go off alone... ever. Two, Adam is in charge. If he says jump, you ask how high, then do it." He too winked at Evan.

Evan finished writing down Roman's words. He looked at the group. "Got it. I'll be the best damn cable runner you ever had. Thank you for the chance. What about my empathy?" Evan went from happy to worried. Chris laid his hand on Evan's knee under the table to show his support.

Adam looked at Evan. "Bray thinks it's time to start your training on investigations. Don't worry, I'm not going to let anything happen to ruin the progress you've made. Just keep the door locked, you'll be alright. Besides, you'll have a good protector with you." He winked at Chris with a sly smile.

Evan flushed a bit. Chris laughed. "Yeah, he will. There's just one more thing. They aren't sure if the poltergeist is a child or adult." He read the last of his report with a nod to Adam's assumption of the same.

They finished making their final plans. Then the College Hill Ghost Hunters went their separate ways, mostly. Adam, Roman, Jason, Heath, Wade, Mark, Evan and Chris all waked the four blocks to the Olive Street house. It was chilly, the promise of spring hung in the night air.

When they got home, the four couples went to their own apartments. Chris went with Evan to his room.

Evan unlocked his door. "Coming in?" He asked Chris. He felt a bit shy, but he wanted to spend every moment possible with the older man.

Chris chewed his bottom lip. "I really shouldn't... I might not want to leave... and we have the trip tomorrow..." He hesitated. Chris was truly torn.

"You... could stay... save time in the morning..." Evan found his courage and pecked Chris' lips between his words.

Chris' brow arched. "Evan, you know our arrangement. I want you, badly... but..." He was halted by Evan's fingers on his lips.

"I know Chrissy. That's not why I want you to stay. I want you to stay because I'm nervous about tomorrow. You can have the bed, I'll sleep on the floor. Please, Chris, stay with me?" Evan's dark eyes made him look like a lost puppy. His hands gently rested on Chris' shoulders.

Chris sighed. "Alright, but you take the bed. Come on, you need to sleep." He led Evan into the room and closed the door behind them.

Up on the third floor, Adam had Roman pinned down on their bed. The Viking aggressively stripped off the Islander's clothing. Roman's hands were behind his head, he wore a smirk on his lips. He loved it when Adam was aggressive. It happened before every investigation, for the most part.

Roman's thoughts stopped, his eyes rolled back when he felt Adam's hot mouth on his cock. Nobody could suck his cock like Adam. Not that many others had, but Roman just knew it was a fact.

Adam loved Roman's cock. It had been made just for him. His tongue teased at the slit in the tip of Roman's cock. He chuckled low in his throat when he heard Roman whimper and felt his muscular body tremble.

Roman's hands wandered down and his fingers laced through Adam's long, silky locks. Adam worked his mouth all the way down Roman's cock, till his nose was against Roman's nest of dark curls that grew at the base. Adam inhaled, he loved Roman's musky, spicy scent. It was uniquely Roman, and comfort.

Roman loved the way Adam sucked his cock. Adam always knew just when to suck, and when to lick. His favorite thing was what Adam did next.

Adam made sure to thoroughly lick Roman's cock, as his mouth slid back up the thick length of flesh. When Adam pulled his lips from Roman's shaft, he took a deep breath. Adam then began to blow air out slowly through his lips.

Roman cried out and his body arched up off the bed. His fingers twisted in Adam's blond hair. Adam smiled and continued to blow around the sensitive tip of Roman's cock.

"Oh god, baby... so... good..." Roman's words came in a low, breath laced, hesitant growl. He arched up off the bed again.

Adam let out the last of his breath with a puff over the tip of Roman's shaft. His hands wandered up the Islander's torso. Adam could feel the hard lines of Roman's tight, six pack of abdominal muscles. The fingers continued to wander up the ridge to Roman's chest.

Adam's long, graceful fingers ran circles around Roman's nipples. The feathery, barely there touches made the nipples harden into nubs. Adam gently worked and twisted the swollen buds.

Roman felt Adam's cock against his leg. He could tell Adam was as hard as he was and he could feel the wet slickness of the pre-cum that leaked from Adam's own shaft.

Adam once again fought his gag reflexes and swallowed around Roman's cock till was deep in his throat. Adam hollowed his cheeks and sucked like Roman was the tastiest lollipop ever made... and he was.

Roman's hands slid down Adam's arms as Adam continued to torture his nipples. It felt like a spring was coiling in his lower body, ready to explode. Roman couldn't take it anymore. He had to be inside his man, fell that tight, hot heat around his cock.

Adam's breath left his body as suddenly found himself being pulled off Roman's shaft with a soft "pop" of his mouth. He was on his back, looking up into the lust crazed eyes of his older husband.

Roman looked down at Adam, his brow arched as his eyes asked a silent question. He growled when Adam nodded and drew his knees up, giving Roman access to his puckered hole.

"You sure?" Roman asked in a soft whisper. He always wanted to make sure Adam was truly willing. I

Adam's lips pulled back, showing his white teeth in a smile. "Yes, my love." He gave a soft reply. It was a brief loving moment. It was quickly replaced by lust and passion.

Roman took his hard, fairly slick shaft in his hand and guided himself to Adam's hole. Adam's hands gripped Roman's shoulders as his hole was penetrated by Roman's cock. Adam gritted his teeth against the moment of pain.

Roman knew it was better to keep pushing in until he was fully seated. He watched Adam's face as it changed with his movements.

Adam first grimaced with pain as the white hot feeling coursed through his nerves. Next, Adam's eyes squeezed shut and he took a deep breath. The final expression, the one Roman waited for, was his favorite.

Adam's eyes opened, they were glazed with lust and pleasure. His lips curved into a beautiful smile. Adam loosened his grip on Roman's shoulders. Roman returned the smile. He took Adam's lips with his in a deep, passion filled kiss.

Adam started to wrap his hand around his cock, ready to jerk himself off with Roman's movements. Roman batted his husband's hand away with a growl.

"Mine" Roman's breath was hot against Adam's lips. He wrapped his hand around Adam's shaft. With a nod and a buck of his hips, Adam let Roman know he was ready.

With another growl, and a tongue tangling kiss, Roman made love to his beloved Adam.

Downstairs in Evan's room, Chris pulled back from Evan and smiled. Evan's face was slightly flushed, his lips kiss swollen. Evan's eyes were slightly glazed and his breath came in pants.

"I... have... to... stop... or..." Chris was halted by Evan once again.

"I know... but... one day... I won't let you stop." Evan gave Chris a kiss on the cheek. His shirt was halfway unbuttoned, his hair was mussed.

Chris' shirt was also open, only one button was fastened. "I look forward to that. Baby, maybe it's not a good idea for me to stay. I'd better go home." Chris stood. He and Evan had been sitting on the window seat of the bay window.

Evan grabbed Chris' hand. "No, Chris, please. I'll behave. How bout this. I'll sleep on the covers, you sleep under. I'm really... I need... I don't want to be alone... please?" He was almost desperate in his plea.

Chris could see that Evan was really afraid. "Is it about tomorrow? You will be fine. Adam wouldn't let you go if he thought you weren't ready." Chris gave Evan's cheek a soft caress.

Evan lowered his head. "I know. I trust Adam. I'm afraid to be alone because it's harder to keep my door locked. IF you stay, I know I'll be alright. Please, Professor, help a poor student?" He quirked his lips as he tried to joke about it.

Chris smiled, he could see through Evan's attempted humor. "One thing. You will be under the covers. Now, go get ready for bed." He pulled Evan up and gently gave his butt a swat.

Evan laughed happily. He grabbed his sleeping pants and went into the bathroom. Chris realized he had nothing to change into. He'd have to run home to pack a bag for the weekend.

Chris went to the bathroom door. "Evan baby, I have to go home..." He was shocked when the door flew open. Evan was in a wide eyed panic.

Chris continued. "Easy, baby. I just realized I don't have a bag for the weekend. I'll run home, pack and be right back. Thirty minutes at the most, I promise." His hand on Evan's shoulder was reassuring.

Evan sighed in relief. "Oh, okay. You take the key then. I'll be waiting, be careful, Chrissy." He leaned in and gave Chris a sweet kiss.

Chris winked. "I will." He returned the kiss. He grabbed the key from it's place on the dresser. He gave Evan a smile and left.

Evan nearly squealed with delight. He decided to fill the time with a soak in a hot bath. It always helped him relax.

Upstairs, Adam cried out. "So close... oh god... Ro... please..." He squirmed and arched up to meet Roman's thrusts into his hole and tugs on his cock.

Sweat dripped down Roman's nose, his teeth ground against each other. He strained to make the incredible feeling, just before he came, last as long as humanly possible.

Roman let out a long held in breath. "Cum, baby, cum for your Islander." He sealed his words with a nip to Adam's sensitive neck.

For a brief moment, Adam's body went rigged. He then let go, his cock erupted, coating Roman's hand and their torsos. His muscles contracted around Roman's shaft.

With a pleasure filled whine, Roman's cock spilled into Adam's silky hole. Some pooled on the sheets under Adam's butt, some landed on Adam's inner thighs. Roman collapsed on top of Adam. Adam wrapped his arms around Roman's sweaty body.

"Oh god, Viking... oh god..." Roman panted in labored breaths. He rolled off Adam and onto his back, he pulled Adam up against him like a rag doll. Both men were still floating on a sexual high.

Adam's fingers absentmindedly traced the blue black ink on Roman's bronzed skin. It was comforting to them both.

Evan finished up his bath, slipped into bed and turned on the television Mark had lent him. He'd barely gotten propped up when he heard the key in the lock. Evan grinned when Chris walked in with his back pack.

"See. I told you Id' be back. You look comfy." He went to the bed, leaned down and gave Evan a kiss. "Mmm you smell good too." Chris added with another kiss.

Evan blushed a bit. "Took a hot soak. Go change, there's a good movie coming on." He nodded to the bathroom.

With a laugh, Chris took his back pack into the bathroom. He quickly changed into the cotton sleeping pants and a clean tee shirt. He brushed his teeth and groomed his hair.

Chris took a deep breath and looked at himself in the mirror. Roman was right, Chris didn't think he looked as old as he was. It bolstered his ego a bit. He also told himself, he was not going to corrupt Evan, at least not tonight. He turned off the light and opened the door.

Chris shook his head. Evan had propped up a pillow for him, and gotten out an extra quilt. "Well, I knew you would stick to sleeping on top of the covers, but I don't want you to get cold. It's not spring yet." Evan smiled and patted the bed.

Chris laughed and slid onto the bed. He stayed on top of the covers and pulled the quilt up. Evan snuggled close as the movie began on the television.

Roman ran his fingers gently through Adam's hair as his husband rested his head on his tattooed chest. "I love you, Adam. Meeting you was the best thing I ever did. I mean I really love you." His words were soft, but filled with emotion.

Adam looked up at Roman. They always said 'I love you' but somehow this was different. He kissed Roman's warm, bare skin. "I love you, Roman. Why so... sentimental? Not that I mind, but..." He let his words fade, he didn't know what else to say.

Roman pulled Adam closer. "I don't know. Sometimes I think the I love yous become routine responses. Once in a while it's nice to just really say it, not as a... casual turn of phrase. Oh, I don't know how to explain it." He gave a bit of a pout. He thought, wow a PhD, that couldn't express himself.

Adam smiled. "I understand, I know what you mean. And I too, love you so very much. You made my life so much better. I'd be lost without you. You are my strength." He sealed his words with a kiss to Roman's lips.

Roman wrapped Adam in his arms. Adam laid his head back on Roman's chest and sighed with contentment. Sleep soon over took the couple. Soft snores filled their bedroom.

Chris Jericho smiled. Evan had fallen asleep five minutes into the movie. His head rested on Chris' shoulder. It felt nice, not to go to bed alone.

Chris flicked the television off with the remote Evan had dropped on the bed. He gently eased himself and Evan down from their propped up positions. Evan stirred a bit, but didn't waken. In his sleep, he curled around Chris.

Chris wrapped his arms around Evan and held him close. For the first time in a long time, Chris fell into a deep restful sleep.

The Olive Street house settled down for the night, filled with love. All four couples that occupied the house were asleep, safe in the arms of their loves.


	14. Surprise in Cedar Rapids

It took Chris Jericho a few minutes to realize he wasn't in his bed, in his one room apartment at the rooming house. He smiled when he felt Evan stir in his arms.

"Chrissy?" A sleepy voiced Evan spoke through a yawn. He nuzzled his head against Chris' chest.

"Yeah, Evvy, it's me. Time to wake up. We're all having breakfast at the Happy Chef, remember?" Chris gave the raven haired head of Evan a gentle kiss.

"M'kay... wanna take a shower? Clean towels under the sink." Evan again spoke through a yawn. He stayed wrapped around Chris. It was so nice and comfortable.

"Baby, you have to let me up." Chris gave a laugh through a yawn of his own.

"Oh... sorry... " Evan rolled away from Chris and snuggled down deeper on the bed. Evan usually woke up immediately, but he was so safe and comfortable, he fell back into a light doze.

Chris looked over at the clock/radio on Evan's night stand. There was plenty of time before they all met for breakfast, he decided to let Evan sleep a bit longer. Chris got out of the bed, took his shaving kit out of his back pack, along with a pair of jeans and a blue button down shirt. He also grabbed clean underwear and socks.

Evan smiled in his sleepy state. It was nice to wake up in the arms of someone that cared about him. Evan also felt more rested than he had in months. He laughed softly, Chris was singing in the shower.

Evan made himself get up. While he waited for his turn in the bathroom, he made the bed and took out a back pack. He packed for the overnight trip to Cedar Rapids. While he worked, he grew more nervous about the upcoming investigation. He was glad Chris was there.

"Roman Reigns, change the sheets! This is the _third_ time I've asked. I want _clean_ sheets on the bed when we get home on Sunday. You helped get them dirty you know!" Adam spoke sharply. He was trying to pack for himself and his husband.

Roman sighed. "Alright, Viking. I'm coming! I wanted to catch the weather for tonight..." He clicked off the television. Adam was mad and that was not a good way to start an investigation day.

Adam almost threw their things into their bag, but his sense of order kept him in check. When he felt Roman's arms around his waist, Adam shrugged them off.

"I'm sorry, babe. You're right, I should have done it the first time you asked. It's not your job to do all the housework." Roman backed away from Adam and went to strip the cum and sweat stained sheets from their bed.

Adam sighed. "I'm sorry, RoRo. I'm... you always do your share of the chores and then some. I'm letting my nerves get control." He went and helped Roman put the clean sheets on their big, extra long king sized bed.

Roman chuckled. "You must be really sorry. You haven't called me RoRo in ages. Baby, Evan will be fine. Bray wouldn't have told you Evan was ready if he wasn't sure." He spoke calmly, no point in keeping the argument going.

"You're right, I know. Still in so many ways, Evan is a baby. He reminds me of me, before Bray helped me. Thanks for being your patient self. I know I can be a real bitch at times. Will you please get our shower kits?" Adam asked as he threw the pile of dirty sheets in the hamper.

By nine that morning, the Reigns', the Reso's, Wade, Mark, Chris, Evan, Dean and Seth were loading equipment into the mobile command van. Seth sorted out what they needed and Dean directed the loading.

The group was complete when the Helmsley's came walking down the alley. Hunter carried a well packed gym style bag.

Greetings were exchanged and Mark loaded the Helmsley's bag into his large SUV. They were all so well organized, it only took twenty minutes to get everything packed up. The mobile command van made it so much easier.

Mark spoke. "All aboard, I'm hungry." He got into the drivers seat of his SUV, Wade rode shotgun. Because he no longer carried investigation equipment, Mark could add the extra seats the SUV had. Everyone now rode more comfortably.

Seth drove the mobile command van with Dean as his passenger. Jason and Heath rode with them. Heath and Seth prepared themselves for a day of bad jokes and long, usually pointless stories. Jason and Dean always tried to out talk each other.

They first stopped at the local coffee club hang out. An old fashioned diner/restaurant called The Happy Chef. Everyone in Cedar Falls swore the restaurant had the best coffee ever brewed, and the biscuits were so light, they nearly floated off the plates.

Shawn, Adam, Wade and Seth all brought a thermos to fill with the wonderful coffee. After they ate, some of the guys took a turn in the bathroom, some took a chance to have a cigarette. Adam always took a walk around the parking lot to stretch his long legs before a drive.

Chris, Mark and Dean were having a smoke. Adam noticed Evan looked like a lost puppy as he wandered around the SUV. Adam had also noticed Evan had barely eaten any of his breakfast.

Adam strode over to Evan. "You alright? You hardly ate anything?" He looked at his protégé with a worried expression on his face.

Evan bit at his thumb nail. "Nervous. I don't want to screw anything up tonight. I feel like I'm on trial."

Adam gave a bit of a laugh. "Well, I guess you are, in a way. Don't fret so, we aren't evil judges. Bray and I wouldn't have said you were ready if you weren't. You will be fine, I promise." He threw his arm around Evan's shoulder and hugged him.

"Thanks. Chris told me the same thing. Doesn't Doctor Wyatt come on investigations?" Evan asked with a curious gleam in his eyes.

Adam shook his head. "Very rarely. He's too busy most of the time. Being the Dean of the Department doesn't leave him much time to go with us." He explained to Evan and did a few deep knee bends.

Mark finished his cigarette. "Alright boys, we'd better get going." He unlocked the SUV. Wade took the passenger seat, then on the three bench seats sat the Helmsley's, The Reign's, then in the back, were Chris and Evan. Everyone buckled up, and Mark headed the SUV towards Cedar Rapids.

An hour later, the two black vehicles of the College Hill Ghost Hunters arrived in Cedar Rapids.

The city, the second largest in Iowa, had the unique distinction of sitting on both banks of the Cedar River. The government offices of the city sat on an island in the middle of the river. Chris spoke as they passed the island.

"One of the only places in the world where the government buildings are on an island. Paris is the about the only other place I can think of, off hand. It's also home to the first exclusively Muslim cemetery in all of North America, I think. All the graves face Mecca. It's also the home of the oldest mosque in North America. There is also a huge Czech and Slovak influence. Quite diverse city." Chris spoke like the historian he was. However, he made it interesting.

That's why Chris was such a popular instructor. He didn't just lecture endless dates and cold facts. He brought life to history. He'd even been known to dress as historical figures and speak as if he visited from the past. Evan just looked at Chris with wide eyed adoration. The fact that Chris was his man didn't hurt either.

Mark looked at Chris in the rear view mirror. "I should remember, but which tribes were here?" Mark always relied on the Native American heritage of an area. Different Native tribes had different ways of dealing with things from the "under world". It was always best to know what he might come across during an investigation.

Chris looked at Mark's reflection. "Sac and Fox... oh look, there's the Brucemore." Chris pointed out the window.

To the left, was a beautiful Queen Anne style mansion in the middle of a deep green lawn, twenty six acres right in the middle of town. It was breathtaking.

"We're supposed to meet our anonymous client at the Lost Cuban restaurant at noon. It's on Third Street, just a few blocks from here." Adam stated as he looked at his pocket day planner.

"Um... you don't know who we're meeting? How will we know who it is?" Hunter asked in a sleep laced voice. He'd been asleep since they'd left Cedar Falls, and woke up when Chris pointed out the Brucemore.

Adam laughed. "Welcome back, Doc. The lady said she'd reserve a table under CHGH and she'd find us. I normally wouldn't meet someone like that, but with this group... I think we're safe..." Adam let out a gasp and slapped his forehead.

"Wade... oh... I'm so sorry. I didn't think... me and my _fucking_ mouth." Adam moved forward to the passenger seat and gave Wade's shoulder a squeeze.

Wade reached up and squeezed Adam's hand in return. "It's alright, buddy. In a way, I'm glad that it gets forgotten. Just let it go... I'm okay. I know I'm safe..." he turned his head and smiled at Adam.

Evan quickly changed the subject as Adam sat back down. "Hey Adam, I just had a thought. Remember, Chris told us about the lions that Mister Douglas had on the estate. Remember that Leo the Second, lived in the house until he got sick and was euthanized? I've heard of empathy with animal spirits, but at least that's one thing I don't feel... anyway, could an animal be haunting the library at the Brucemore? One of things reported is a growling sound." He was curious. Could their ghost be Leo the Second or one of the other two lions?

Wade replied before Adam had a chance. "It is possible. Animals have souls, so they can return in spirit form. That's a really great question, Squirt. That's the only way you will learn. As Voltaire once said, 'Judge a man by his questions, rather than his answers'. Remember that." The Wizard flashed Evan a smile and a wink.

Evan chuckled. "I was always told I ask to many questions."

Shawn turned to look at Evan. "He who asks questions is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask questions, is a fool forever. Remember _that_!" He too gave the young man a smile and a wink.

Adam nodded. "They are right, Evan. For example, if Seth never asked questions, he wouldn't invent half the things he's come up with. You make an interesting point, about the lions. I've only ever had one animal communications. One of Jason's favorite pet cats. It didn't speak, but I just knew he wanted Jay to know he was alright on the other side. We'll think of that tonight, maybe it is the ghost of one of the lions. Remind me to tell Seth." Adam stopped talking as Mark pulled into the restaurant parking lot.

They were an hour early as they stepped out of the two black vehicles. Heath ran up to Adam. "I am _not_ riding back with those two! Dean and Jaybird got into a knock knock joke contest! Another hour of their knock knock jokes... just take me to Independence, now!" He was half joking, half serious. If he didn't love Jason so much, he would have killed him... and Dean.

Everyone chuckled at poor Heath, but they laughed even harder when they saw Seth remove the foam ear plugs from his ears.

"Heath, when will you ever learn?" Seth teased as he pulled a tube with fresh ear plugs out of his pocket. He held them just out of reach of Heath's greedy little hands.

"Gimme those Seth Rollins! Just see if I ever make you a lemon meringue pie again!" Heath held out his hands for the ear plugs.

Seth handed them over so fast, even Mark burst out in loud, deep laughter. He then wrapped one arm around Wade's waist and escorted his fiancé into the restaurant.

Roman asked the hostess for the table reserved for the CHGH. The girl led the group of twelve men to a private room in the back part of the restaurant. Adam wasn't the least bit surprised.

"Well, we might as well eat. I've heard this one of the top five restaurants in Cedar Rapids." Shawn proposed as he picked up his menu.

Everyone agreed. The Cuban menu was filled with delicious, authentic dishes. Nearly everyone ordered the special Cuban sandwich with side dishes of authentic, perfectly seasoned black beans. Evan ordered the Sopa de Pollo, a traditional chicken soup and a Cuban salad. They also drank various specialty sodas that were made and bottled in the restaurant.

Hunter challenged Roman to a game of Dominoes. Every table had a set of Dominoes as it is considered a national sport in Cuba... lives had been lost over games of Dominoes.

With the others engrossed in watching the Domino match, Chris leaned over and whispered in Evan's ear. "Baby boy, just a small cup of soup and a small salad? You hardly ate any breakfast. You know, you don't have to diet, you're thin enough, almost too thin." He gave Evan a serious, worried look with a deep furrow etched into his brow.

Evan smiled softly. "I am not vain, Chris. I'm too nervous to eat much. I promise, I'll be a right pig tomorrow Thank you though, for caring so much. It's been a long time." He gave Chris a soft kiss.

"Awww... you two are just precious. I'm so glad you found each other. Chris was getting to be a grumpy, lonely old man." Jason said with a wink to the couple. He meant it, he _was_ happy for them, especially Chris.

Heath couldn't smack Jason, their food arrived with two waiters. Everything looked and tasted superb. They were only half way through their meal when a woman, dressed smartly in a pantsuit walked into the room.

She had short silver blond hair, and was of average height and weight. Her only jewelry was her huge diamond engagement ring, gold wedding ring, and small gold earrings. She had a confident air about her. She was not someone easily pushed around, if anything, she did the pushing.

She walked right up to Adam, who sat at the head of the table, or did before they all stood. "Professor Adam Reigns, I'm your anonymous contact. My name is Linda McMahon, nice to meet you." She held out her hand for Adam to shake.

Adam shook Linda's hand. "Linda McMahon? Are you by chance related to Stephanie McMahon?" He asked curiously. The other men remained standing as Roman pulled up a chair for their guest. When Linda sat, the men sat back down. They were just as curious as their leader.

Linda laughed. "You caught me out. Yes, Stephanie is my daughter. I was married, well still am I suppose, to Vince McMahon. We've been separated for several years... but, that's not important. Please, do go on with your lunch..." she paused and ordered a cup of Cuban coffee.

Linda continued. "I moved to Cedar Rapids and became a member of the Board of Directors for the Brucemore. I own the KCRG Television Station. I'm Vince's biggest... competition. Anyway, Stephanie told me about the article she is writing. When I learned about you, and the College Hill Ghost Hunters, I knew you were the ones to call upon." She smiled when the waiter served her coffee. She took a sip of the hot black liquid.

Adam swallowed the bite of food he'd quickly taken. "Missus McMahon, why now? The Brucemore has been active in the paranormal for a long time."

Linda nodded. "I know, but it's getting more frequent, and it is starting to affect the business. Tours are down and those that do come, usually have some kind of experience. The Brucemore hosts many cultural events every year. Since, we can't, by the rules Missus Douglas laid out, rent out the mansion for private events, we depend on art shows and plays to provide funding for every day costs. Those bookings are also down. Some of my fellow Board Members think the idea of the paranormal is ridiculous. There are a few of us that, at least, think it's possible. I give major funding each year, and my station runs free commercials for events. I finally put my foot down." She paused to take another sip of coffee.

The group held its collective breath as Jason spoke. They never knew what would come out of his mouth. "Adam said, if we do find something, we aren't allowed to guide it to leave. How is this going to help, if the spirit is still there..." He let his question fade. The police officer in him couldn't work out the logic.

Linda let a sly smirk play over her lips. "Some Board Members have... odd ideas. They look at the spirit as part of the Museum's collection. What I said was, you can't tell it to leave..." She was interrupted by Wade.

"Ah, I see. However, should any spirit decide, on its own to leave..." Wade was halted by Linda.

"You Sir, are very astute. You're Mister Barrett, the Wizard, I believe. Oh, Stephanie's story is very thorough. I would also like to meet to discuss your findings. I will be in Cedar Falls next weekend. It will save you a return trip. Oh, and Stephanie would like to be there as well. May I add. You did a wonderful thing, with Molly Heyman. She and Paul are like newlyweds... makes me..." he words faded as her thoughts wandered.

Adam placed a kind hand on Linda's arm. "That will be fine, Stephanie is a sweet girl. I must say she sure is enthusiastic about the Paranormal Department. Then, I can assume, if my spirit guide should happen to show any spirits at the Brucemore, to the other side, we'll keep it to ourselves. So, how do we get into the Brucemore, and can we use our cameras and other equipment? They work on Infra Red, so they don't damage fragile artifacts." Adam brought the conversation back to the subject at hand.

Linda McMahon regained her businesslike composure. "That will be fine. A soul should be in the light. Well, Stephanie takes after her parents, a dog with a bone that won't let go. I'll meet you at the Brucemore at eight, after closing. Do not arrive before then. Just be careful not to touch any artifacts or attach anything to furniture or fixtures. Oh, I booked six rooms at the Cooper's Mill Hotel. It's lovely, right on the river and only two miles from the Estate. I hope you don't mind." Linda pulled a packet of papers from her messenger bag.

Hunter took the offered papers. "We don't mind, thank you. However, we will pay. We don't accept money or gifts, that includes hotels and meals. It's our policy, and we are firm about it." He spoke politely but seriously.

Linda smiled. "Yes, Stephanie told me. The owner of the hotel is a dear friend, she just holding the block of rooms. You can go any time, the rooms are ready." She explained with a last sip of coffee.

Linda then stood. All twelve men politely stood as well. "I must be going. Good to finally meet you. I'll see you all at eight." She shook hands with the Reigns' and left as quickly as she had arrived.

Since everyone had finished eating and they were already standing, the group started to leave as well.

"Well, knock me over with a feather. I did not expect Stephanie's mother. Oh well, the world is full of surprises. Um Evan, what's up? Adam asked the young empath. Evan was grinning even more than the Cheshire Cat.

Evan was nearly giddy. "I did it! I actually did it! I felt her empathy trying to invade my mind, but I kept the door locked! I did it, Adam!" He was so happy with himself.

"That's great, Squirt! That was hard, even I started to feel her empathy, and that never happens. I'm proud of you! Keep it up. Um... Evan..." Adam pulled the younger man in closer as they walked out of the restaurant.

Evan stopped and looked at his mentor. Adam continued. " Are you... comfortable with only six rooms? I mean you and Chris... aren't... together... like... um... _that_ yet... or um... are you? I don't mean to be nosey... I just want you to feel safe and comfortable. You can stay with Roman and I if you'd rather..." He was extremely hesitant. It was hard to care and not sound like a nosey Yenta.

Evan threw his arms around Adam and hugged him. He was still so thrilled about keeping his empathic door locked. "Um... Chris stayed with me last night. But not, _that_ way. He stayed on top of the covers. I'm an adult, boss. I'll be fine. I do love you for caring. Oh Adam, this is the best day of my life! I controlled it, it didn't control me!" Evan was practically vibrating. Adam shook his head with a smile.

Evan squealed when Chris grabbed him from behind, lifted him up and twirled him around. "I am so proud of you!" He set Evan down. Adam had wandered over to speak to Jason and Heath.

Chris continued. "He worried about the hotel rooms? Hunter said I could stay with him and Shawn, that's what I usually do. Saves money." He smiled at Evan with a wink.

Evan ducked his head. "Well, Adam said I could stay with them. I told him you stayed with me last night, and our arrangement. We're consenting adults, I'd love to share a room with you." He leaned in a gave Chris a kiss.

No more was said as Mark called everyone to get in the vehicles. They loaded up and headed for the Cooper's Mill Hotel. They once again drove past the Brucemore and when they did, Adam was suddenly slammed by a spirit.

Roman felt Adam stiffen, he knew exactly what had happened. He indicated for everyone to be quiet. Mark pulled over and stopped. Luckily there was a gas station where they could safely park.

Adam closed his eyes. _"Grandmother? Is it you?"_ He called out to his spirit guide. The sudden feeling he'd gotten had vanished as fast as it had slammed him.

" _No Addy, it wasn't me. I don't know who it was. They were too fast. However, I think they know you will be at their house tonight. Be careful. I don't like it when they manage to sneak past me. I'm sorry, Addy."_ His Grandmother's spirit voice had an agitated tone to it.

" _It's alright, grandma. You can't be over me constantly. I don't expect you to be. If you do learn anything, let me know. Thank you, grandma. I love you."_ Adam spoke with love and affection to his maternal spirit guide.

His Grandmother gave Adam a mental kiss. To Adam it always felt like a warm, gentle charge of energy. It left him feeling so loved and safe. He slowly opened his eyes.

"You knew?" Adam asked his husband. Adam realized they had pulled over and stopped.

Roman chuckled. "After seven years, yes Viking, I knew. What happened?" He gently massaged Adam's neck.

Adam filled everyone in as Mark once again began to drive. The Mobile Command van had gone on to the hotel. Seth thought Mark had stopped refuel. When the SUV arrived at the hotel parking lot, Adam once again told what happened.

"I hope she can find whoever it was. I don't like those sneak attack spooks." Jason conveyed in a worried tone. He'd seen Adam "attacked" many times before Bray had entered Adam's life. They were only children, and it had been an extremely frighting thing to see.

"Jay, they aren't spooks. Sometimes, they get a bit excited and jump me. I'm fine. It's not like before, Grandma keeps me safe." He gave his best friend a one armed hug of reassurance.

With a nod, Jason grabbed his and Heath's bag from the back of the SUV. Hunter went in ahead of everyone to get their rooms arranged. Hunter was always in charge, and filled the roll of group manager, with Shawn's help.

The rooms were wonderful. Each was on the top, fourth floor with views of the river. King sized beds, microwaves and refrigerators were part of the amenities.

Seth loved the high speed internet and computer connections with plenty of sockets to plug into. He could run data after the investigation if there was something important to look at. Linda had done well. They were almost sorry their stay was only for one night.

Each couple settled in. They hoped to take nice long naps to be rested for later. Evan liked that no one seemed to care that he and Chris shared a room. That was the difference between dorm life and living with mature adults... not counting Jason.

"Wow, Chris. Look at this view." Evan said in amazement. He'd grown up poor and in college he never had a lot of money, he wasn't used to such things. This was only the second time he'd been in a hotel.

Chris walked up to Evan. He wrapped his arms around his boy's waist and pulled him up against him. Evan smiled, his back fit against Chris' body perfectly.

"It is beautiful. Think of it, sweetheart. That river has flowed for thousands of miles for hundreds of years. Think what it could tell us if it could speak." Chris' voice was filled with awe. He always thought of the history of things.

"It does speak, in a way. Things wash up on the banks, fossils are found in her riverbed rocks. It changes its course to reveal other things. But, yes, if she could speak for real, the stories she would tell. Too bad my empathy can't work with things like that. It would be a lot more interesting. Chris... are you alright... sharing a bed... without... we aren't ready yet... I want it, but... not yet... are you mad?" Evan turned in Chris' arms. He placed his hands on his boyfriend's shoulders.

Chris smiled softly and tightened his grip on Evan's trim hips. "I'm fine with it. I want it too, but no, we aren't ready. I want to be absolutely sure of us first. The last thing I want is to hurt you. Sex is great, but, it's the reward for a full commitment. Especially after... well, Bray was my choice... I knew it was just sex. I want it to mean more than that with you." He spoke openly and from his heart. He didn't ever hide his relationship with Bray.

Evan gave the tip of Chris' nose a kiss. "I'm sorry about Bray, I know you cared and do care about him. But... with me... it's just me. I'm yours for as long as you want me. After Brock, I want it mean something too. If we ever do, I'm quite sure it will be the best experience of my life. Come on, we'd better take a nap. I want to be rested for tonight. Hold me?" He too spoke from his heart.

Chris gave Evan a slow, gentle kiss. "You know I will." He took his boy by the hand and led him to the bed. They couple laid down on top of the covers, fully clothed. Evan curled around Chris and Chris wrapped his arms around Evan. They fell into a deep, restful sleep.

All the couples of the College Hill Ghost Hunters took their naps. It was easy to do with full stomachs and cozy rooms. Hunter and Shawn made love first. It wasn't often they had a weekend away from patients and parishioners. Jason and Heath also made love, just because. Soon though, everyone was asleep. They all wanted to be rested and refreshed for the investigation that evening.

It was going to be an important investigation. They had a very important client, and would be Evan initiation into the College Hill Ghost Hunters.


	15. Incident at the Brucemore

_**A/N:** For those of you that felt the last chapter was a little short, no worries, I make up for that in this chapter. So grab a nice hot cup of coffee or tea, sit back, relax and enjoy... if you dare! I thank all of you who are reading and reviewing and I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Things are going to pick up in the coming chapters... BIG time... but for now, enjoy the following chapter. All the best for a great day! Lady Dragonsblood. _

By seven o'clock in the evening, the College Hill Ghost Hunters were finishing up their supper in the hotel restaurant dining room. Adam was going over last minute equipment choices with Seth.

"Have we got enough tripods? We can't attach cameras to anything." Adam reminded their technical coordinator.

Seth frowned. "Not as many as I would like. I've got four, wish I had six. But, if we each hold a camera, that will work. Roman, will of course, use the FLIR. Squirt, have you used a video camera?" He flashed a pointed look at Evan.

Evan nodded. "Many times. Brock always had me record his workouts and practice games. I got to be fairly good." He returned the pointed look to Seth.

Seth grinned. "Great. Then tonight, you'll have a camera. Just film wherever your eyes are looking, and keep as steady as possible. Also, tagging is extremely important. If your cough, or make any kind of noise, you say the time, your name, location and what noise you made. For example, ten-fifteen pm, Seth, library, sighed. Got it? Honesty is number one. If you make a noise tag it. Nobody cares, but if you try to deceive, by making a noise and not tagging it and we later think it's paranormal when it wasn't... our reputation will be fucked. It's also just as important to tag any possible paranormal noise. Do it the same way. Got all that?" Seth again looked hard at Evan.

Evan just nodded. There was much more to it than he realized. He started to get nervous again. Shawn noticed the sudden unease on Evan's face.

"Don't worry, Evan. Ask Hunter about the phantom footsteps." Shawn laughed with a nudge to Hunter under the table. He wanted Hunter to tell about his tagging mistake, to make Evan feel better.

Hunter immediately understood his husband's nudge. "Oh that was funny! I kept hearing footsteps, so I kept tagging. Every time I stopped walking, the footsteps behind me stopped. They started again when I started walking. Poor Seth listened and analyzed the footsteps for over six hours... until he figured out I was tagging the echo of my own footsteps! So, don't worry. We have _all_ made mistakes. It's all part of the learning process. You will do just fine and if you make a mistake, blow it off, and do better next time." He reached over and gave Evan's hair a tousle.

"Hunter is right, Squirt. Don't let Seth scare you. He's fucked up too many times to count, haven't you, dropped camera boy." Dean gave a nod to Seth with a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah. Evan knows I am just helping him. So, Hunt, can we afford a couple more tripods? Foley can get me a good price." Seth looked hopefully at the Doctor.

Hunter rubbed his light beard thoughtfully. "I think so, but I'll check the account when we get back." He took his last bite of steak.

Evan looked confused "Um... if the CHGH doesn't charge for investigations or take monetary donations... how can their be a business account?"

Hunter smiled. "Well, we all put ten percent of our pay into the account each month. Then we each put in twenty bucks a week into a petty cash fund, that pays for food, fuel and other things. Don't feel bad, just put in what you can, when you can. Say... how would you like to take over the accountant's job. You are a math major, you'd be _much_ better at it than me, and you would have more time than Heath or I do." He looked at Heath and the others, then Evan. Everyone nodded in approval, especially Heath. He hated crunching numbers worst of all.

"That's a fantastic idea. Evan, would you be willing? If so, we will add your name to the account." Adam agreed with Hunter. It would also be a great way to make Evan feel more included.

Evan smiled happily. "I'd like that. I love that kind of math. Accounting is interesting, I'm thinking about being a CPA, but banking is a good option too... oh... sorry... rambling..." He gave a laugh, but he really needed to chose his future career soon.

"Folks, we'd better focus. It's time to load up." Mark spoke firmly. He took his duty as the head of group transportation seriously. He was a master of getting the group to places exactly on time.

The College Hill Ghost Hunters left the restaurant and headed for their vehicles. By the time they loaded up and drove to the Brucemore Estate, it was exactly eight o'clock.

Linda McMahon came out of the beautiful home. She gave a wave as the paranormal investigators got out of their vehicles. She came down the steps to greet them. She shook hands with Adam.

"The place is all yours. Just remember not to touch any artifacts. Text me when you're about done and I'll come lock up. Security knows you're here, and they know to stay out of your way. There's a radio you can call them on. The head guards name is Dave. Well, I guess that's all from me." Linda spoke matter of fact. She was anxious for the investigation to begin.

"Don't worry, Missus McMahon, we will be very careful. Good, that way if we hear a noise outside, we can locate where security is. We will probably be here till morning, so get a good sleep. We do appreciate this opportunity. Thank you." Adam shook Linda's hand. He then opened her car door for her and watched her drive away.

"Alright, set up everything in the library. Let's get busy." Adam gave a clap of his hands. Seth began to unload the diverse equipment.

"Evan, you're gonna run cables. That means after a camera is set, you'll run a cable from the camera to here. I'll make all the connections here and check the camera angles. So... get moving." Seth gave Evan his first reel of cable. The job was tedious and boring. Evan would have to make sure over a mile of cable was not only connected, but out of the way so no one would trip in the dark.

Chris helped Evan with the first set up, then left him to learn. It was the only way. The library was a huge, but cozy room. A massive fireplace was along one wall, while the rest of the walls were filled with shelves of books from floor to ceiling.

On some of the shelves were knick-knacks like porcelain figurines or sliver framed pictures. Glass covered display cases had personal items of the three grand families that had once occupied the mansion. Another display case was filled with pictures of the three lions that had once roamed the property. All three lions had been named Leo, and only Leo II lived to adulthood. Leo II often roamed around in the house. His favorite place was in front of the library fireplace.

Because it was Evan's first investigation, it took longer than usual to get the four static cameras set, but he did a good job and Seth was pleased.

After the set up was finished, everyone but Mark and Wade gathered around the back of the mobile command van. The group held hands as Shawn prayed his usual prayer of protection. When he finished, they were ready to begin the Brucemore investigation.

The paranormal investigators went to the library. Seth, Dean, Shawn and Heath stayed at the command center. There wasn't enough room in the library for everyone to be in there at once. While Shawn had been praying, Mark and Wade had done their check for demons or other evil energy.

When Adam and the others entered the library, Mark spoke. "Nothing evil or demonic... as matter of fact, we found nothing at all." His tone held an air of confusion.

"Since I can't touch anything, I can't use psychometry either. Well, break off in teams, be quiet, listen, then do some calling out. I'll try through grandmother." Adam gave a nod. The investigators went to work.

Jason, Chris and Evan went to one far end of the room. Hunter, Mark and Wade went to the other end. Roman and Adam stayed in the center of the room.

Roman focused his FLIR camera on his husband. Adam closed his eyes and reached out to his grandmother. _"Grandma? Are you here?"_

Adam's grandmother responded immediately. _"I'm here, Addy. I've been asking for anyone who wants to speak. No one has come forward. I don't know, they were so anxious earlier..."_ Even the spirit of Adam's grandmother was confused.

Adam's rainbow aura was almost nonexistent, like it was whenever he was just with his spirit guide. _"It's alright, Grandma. Keep trying, maybe they are scared that we're here to send them away. Tell them that's not the case, they can stay."_ He hoped that information would help bring any spirits forward.

" _I'll try. Love you, dear little Addy."_ His Grandmother's voice was faint. Adam knew she'd gone off to try to bring forward any of the Brucemore's spirits.

Adam opened his eyes and looked at his husband. "They are hiding. First they slam me, now they want to hide." He gave a shrug of his shoulders. Spirits could be as difficult in death as they were in life.

Adam made his way over to Evan, Chris and Jason. He spoke in a very low whisper. "Evan. Now, you're going to try to communicate with the other side. When you unlock, focus on just the room, shut everything else out. I will warn you, you might not get a response. Grandmother says the spirits who reside here are hiding, so don't feel bad or a failure if nothing happens. Roman will film you on the FLIR. I'm right here if you get in trouble. Chris, let Evan and I work, he will be fine." He gave Chris a nod. He didn't want any interference with Evan's first attempt at spirit communication.

Chris returned the nod. "Good luck, Evan. Listen to Adam. You'll be fine." He gave his boy a quick kiss.

Evan let Adam lead him to the center of the room. Roman turned his thermal imaging camera on to both telepaths. He wondered if Evan would have an aura like Adam.

Adam closed his eyes. He tapped Evan on the shoulder. Evan knew the tap meant to unlock his empathic door. Bolt by bolt, he removed the locks from his mental door. When the last lock was removed, he hesitated. Could he focus on only the room?

" _It's alright, I'm with you."_ Adam spoke telepathically to Evan. He wanted to remind the young man he was there and able to help him like no one else could.

" _I'm opening the door... now."_ Evan replied with his own mental message. At first the thoughts of the other men in the room tried to invade Evan's mind. He quickly focused on the room. The thoughts became a buzz as Evan closed his eyes harder. He gave a push with his mind, as if waving away smoke from his face. The buzzing sound became less and less. All Evan could now hear was the silence of the room. He pushed out his thoughts, but kept his mind focused.

Roman was interested to see that an aura had begun to form around Evan. It wasn't like Adam's rainbow, it was an almost electric blue color. It meant that Evan was surrounded by cold, where Adam was surrounded by warmth.

The Doctor of Parapsychology found the difference extremely interesting. Why would Adam be warm and Evan cold? Were all empaths cold? Were all mediums warm? Roman had a new project to study. He also thought of one the Doctoral students who would be interested.

Both Adam and Evan called out, using their individual psychic gifts. Neither was getting a response. It was frustrating, here they were, in a known haunted location and nothing was occurring. It was also hard, knowing what Linda McMahon had to gone through to get them there.

Adam's grandmother had not returned, nor responded to his calls. He wasn't worried, that did happen sometimes. It usually meant she was speaking intently to spirits and couldn't be interrupted.

Evan felt two taps on his shoulder. That meant he was to close his mental door and lock it again. He heard the buzzing sound once again as he switched his attention from the room to his mental door. The sound quickly ebbed as Evan replaced the bolts and locked them tightly. Roman watched as all traces of both rainbow and electric blue auras melted away.

Adam and Evan both opened their eyes. Adam gave a silent signal with his hand. Hunter tagged into his camera. "Midnight fifteen, leaving library." That way Seth would know any sounds were probably not paranormal as they walked around. It would also help to know, that any sounds heard _after_ they had left _could_ be paranormal.

The twelve paranormal investigators all stood around the back of the mobile command van. Shawn and Dean poured out cups of coffee as Adam spoke.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I don't feel anything either. Evan, what about you?" Adam asked as he took the cup of hot coffee Dean held out to him.

Evan took a cup from Shawn. "I got the buzz of everyone's thoughts, but, I tuned them out. I felt nothing except you... is it my fault? Did I do something wrong?" He looked at Adam with despair in his eyes.

Adam swallowed his sip of coffee. "No, not at all. I told you they might not come. They might be afraid of being asked to leave, or they might not fully understand they have crossed over. Some just never want to communicate. Grandmother, is talking to them, I hope. I told her to tell them they could stay. Seth, anything from here?" Adam explained and took another sip of coffee.

Seth had his headset around his neck. "A few ambient sounds, but I doubt they are paranormal. Even the bear was quiet. Go figure. Why did they slam you, then not talk to you?" He asked Adam with confusion on his face.

"Wish I knew. Islander, anything on the FLIR?" Adam asked his husband with a raised brow and another sip of coffee.

Roman grinned. "Nothing paranormal, but, I have a new project for the lab, thanks to Evan. He's blue... " He laughed when Evan cocked his head like a puppy and looked at him.

"Your aura, it's blue. When Adam is in communication, he has a rainbow colored aura around him, remember? It grows brighter and pulsates the more intense his communication becomes. Evan, when you were trying to communicate, your aura was blue, an electric blue. I'm going to start a study. Are all empaths blue or all mediums rainbow. Also, blue means cold, do you feel cold when your empathy is active?" Roman explained, then asked in an excited tone. This was probably more interesting than a ghostly communication. He'd recorded a lot of paranormal encounters, this was new.

"Hum... I never thought about it, Doc. I don't think I feel anything." Evan replied thoughtfully as he rubbed his stubble shadowed chin.

Roman nodded. "Adam said the same, almost. Well, it will be interesting to study. I have a Doctoral student who will be interested as well." He sipped his coffee with a smile to Evan.

Adam smoked a cigarette he'd bummed from Chris. He needed to think. "Okay. Maybe there were too many of us in there. Roman, can you... oh, no, never mind, you can't. Well damn..."

"What?" Roman asked his husband. He hated when Adam did that. "Just say what you have to say." Roman's tone showed he was just a bit annoyed.

"Sorry, Islander. I was going to suggest putting the FLIR on the table, so Evan and I could go in alone and let it record us. But, then I remembered you can't do that. Sorry, I know my mind changing drives you nuts." Adam tossed his cigarette away. He walked over to Roman and kissed him lightly.

Roman returned the kiss. "It's alright, Viking. You and Evan go ahead, I don't have to film you." He spoke softly and held Adam gently by the hips. He tried to hide is disappointment, he'd hoped to gather more data on their different auras.

Adam smiled, he saw right through his husband. "No, you can come, it's too important to your new theory. You can film from the doorway. Evan and I shouldn't be completely alone anyway." He gave Roman another kiss. He wished Roman's hair was down, he longed to run his fingers through the long, luscious locks of raven silk.

Roman arched his brow. "Adam?" He could see pure lust in his husband's eyes. Adam never acted like this during an investigation.

Adam kissed Roman with the pent up vigor of man who'd been denied sex for years. Now the rest of the group began to notice Adam's behavior. No one was against kissing, but this was... different.

Mark immediately went on alert. Something was not right with Adam. Had some spirit jumped into Adam? "Wade?" he called softly to his fiancé. When Wade looked at Mark, Mark nodded towards Adam. "Shawn?" Mark next called to the preacher.

Evan looked around at the group, then at Adam. "Wh..." He was stopped by Chris, who flashed him a warning glare. Chris then pulled Evan in behind him.

Jason reached for and found the hand he knew would be there. Heath took Jason's hand in his and held it tightly. They'd seen Adam jumped once before. They could only hope it wasn't a demon.

Shawn pulled his silk, scarf like alb from his pack. He always carried it with him. He kissed the fabric in the center, then placed it around his neck. He was ready in case he was needed.

Hunter grabbed his emergency medical response kit from the back of the command van. It was like having an emergency room in a bag. The Physician was ready for anything. The last time Adam was jumped, he'd needed some oxygen and a shot of adrenaline.

Dean and Seth also stood hand in hand. All anyone could really do was watch, wait and pray. It was scary when they had this kind of encounter during an investigation. Thankfully, it was a very rare occurrence.

Chris leaned over and whispered in Evan's ear. "Don't worry, baby. Sometimes a spirit will jump Adam, or try to. It's not a real possession, the spirit will leave when asked. If the spirit won't leave, then it is a real possession, so far that has never happened. Maybe it's a spirit that wants to feel a kiss again. Mark and Wade will take care of it." He explained to Evan as best he could. It was the way Roman had explained to him once, about the difference between a jump and a full on possession.

Evan's eyes flicked from Chris to Adam. He hoped Chris was right. His initiation into the College Hill Ghost Hunters didn't seem to be going very well. He so wanted to be an asset to the team, and not a jinx.

Adam kept kissing and running his hands over Roman's body. He reached up and pulled Roman's hair from the elastic band that held his hair in a pony tail. Adam's long fingers combed through the long, wavy, raven locks.

"My hair was beautiful once." Adam spoke in an unnaturally soft, higher pitched voice as his fingers toyed with Roman's hair.

Everyone know then, Adam had indeed been truly jumped by a spirit. The question now was, how far did they let it go. Roman gave two nods, each with a different meaning.

The first nod was to Mark. From the moment, the Demonologist was in charge of the spirit jump. The second was to Seth. The technical wizard knew Roman wanted him to take over filming with the thermal imagining camera; which he did.

Roman decided to try to question the spirit. "I bet your hair was beautiful. May I have the pleasure of your acquaintance? My name is Doctor Roman Joseph Reigns." He gave a slight bow. He felt that the spirit who had jumped Adam was definitely a lady.

Adam returned the nod with a perfect, low curtsy, something Adam had never done in his life. "My pleasure, Doctor Reigns. I am Missus Caroline Sinclair, welcome to my home." Adam/Caroline gave another curtsy.

Roman glanced at Mark. While it was exciting to his paranormal mind, it was his beloved husband who was being jumped. Mark returned the nod. Roman knew he could continue. He could tell that Wade was working some kind of spell because the Wizard's lips moved silently.

"You have a splendid home. You must have loved seeing it come to life as it was built." Roman wanted to keep the conversation light. Better to not upset the spirit.

Adam/Caroline looked at the house. A smile curved on Adam's face. "Yes, I did. I had to make sure everything was perfect. Thomas died before it was finished," the spirit sighed deeply.

"I'm sure he was proud you built such a fine home for his children. I'm also sure your children must have loved having all this space to play in." Roman again tried to keep the spirit content. He cast another quick glance over at Mark and Wade.

This time Wade gave the nod. Roman know that Adam was now protected, as much as possible. Roman looked at the other members of the group. They were concerned, but no one appeared to be overly stressed. Roman's last glance was at Jason. He would abide Jason's wish equal with his own.

Jason looked back at Wade. He knew how important this could be. Not for Linda McMahon, but for the scientific research. Jason knew Adam would want to go on, as long as it was safe. The policeman trusted Roman, Mark and Wade. He returned Roman's nod. Roman could continue with his blessing.

The spirit of Caroline Sinclair looked around through the eyes of Adam. "She changed it, but still, it's my fair home." Adam/Caroline walked up the steps of the mansion. Roman followed as did Seth, at a distance, with the FLIR camera.

Roman held his hand out to Adam/Caroline. Adam took the offered hand. "I am confused. How can you be married to a man? In my time such things were an abomination. I find you a most attractive man. It's been a long time since..." The spirit, through Adam, kissed Roman.

Roman felt confused. It was, but wasn't his husband kissing him. His natural instinct was to pull Adam in closer and return the passionate embrace. However, this kiss _wasn't_ from Adam, but from the spirit of Caroline Sinclair. Roman allowed the kiss, but he kept his lips closed and broke it off as quickly as he possibly and politely could.

When the kiss broke, Roman answered Caroline's question. "Marriages like ours are accepted now. Most people have learned that love is love. There are still some that don't approve, but it's their right to do so. It's good, that over time, people learn acceptance and tolerance." Roman hoped he'd explained it without offending.

"People were _not_ tolerant in my day. As a young woman with six children, my life was over when Thomas died. I still had things I wanted to do, places I wanted to see. However, as a widow, I wasn't allowed." The spirit inside Adam was a cross between bitter and sad.

Roman reached over and laid a gentle hand on Adam's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Miss Caroline. I'm sure it was very hard. But, look at the legacy you left behind. This mansion is here, because of you. Why have you jumped into Adam?" He felt it was time to get some answers, and the spirit was obviously aware of what it had done.

Adam/Caroline turned to once again look at the grand estate she had built. "I wanted to see and feel again. I wanted to... do we have to leave? Did you come here to make us leave?" The spirit used Adam's eyes to express her deep worry.

"I can understand. Oh no, you don't have to leave. We only wanted to find out who was here and why?" Roman replied in earnest.

The spirit smiled. "We keep order. They move things from where they belong. Margret Hall is here too, she's the one that keeps things in their proper places." Caroline/Adam kept looking around the house. She was glad to see the outside was as well looked after as the inside.

Roman took the opportunity to find out as much as possible. "Do the lions come to visit? There is a growling noise heard sometimes. You see, the more information we can give, the less frightened the people who come to visit the house will be. It will also mean you can always stay." He hoped the spirit would reply.

The spirit of Caroline laughed through Adam. "No, it's not one of those horrid lions! It's my youngest son, Peter. He thinks it's funny to scare people.. If you promise we can stay, I'll make him stop. We only want to be able to come to our former home. Irene, Margaret and I... we ladies made this place, we all still call it home. Please, promise we may stay." The spirit of Caroline Sinclair caused Adam's hazel eyes to fill with tears, however, the tears didn't fall.

Roman took Adam's hand in his. He knew the feel of Adam's hand as well as his own, now he noticed it felt... different. It felt like the warm, soft hand of a woman. It was a very strange sensation. Did Adam's hand and skin _really_ feel different or was it a mental thing? Was there a way he could study the change?

Roman shook the parapsychological thoughts from his head. He turned his full attention to the spirit. "I promise you. You and your fellow spirits are more than welcome to remain here. As I said before, we were asked _not_ to send you away. The Heritage Board _wants_ you to stay. They only wanted to know if they are safe, and you won't harm or scare them. I'm sure they would appreciate if the growling stopped. I think, while it has been an honor and a privilege to speak with you, Missus Sinclair, I'd like to have my husband back. Please?" He gave a respectful and polite bow to Adam's spirit infested body.

Caroline/Adam returned Roman's bow with a curtsy. "You have been more than polite to me. I will make sure Peter behaves himself. I'm glad we can stay. You may inform the Board, there is nothing to fear. We love this house, it's our home. We appreciate that it is so well taken care of. I'll leave now, thank you again Doctor Reigns. It has been truly wonderful to feel again, even if only for a little while. Good Evening." Adam's head gave a slight nod, with another curtsy. Suddenly Adam's legs gave way as his body went limp.

Luckily, Roman had an idea of what to expect and easily caught Adam in his strong arms. Hunter rushed over to the couple.

"Bring him over. I've got everything ready." Hunter spoke in earnest, as he felt Adam's wrist. He and Shawn had laid a blanket on the soft, thick grass. They too had surmised Adam would pass out. Roman carried Adam to the waiting blanket. He gently laid Adam down and sat on the ground so his thigh became a pillow for his husband's blond head.

Hunter took Adam's vital signs and Shawn was ready with things Hunter would need. Evan, Chris, Jason and Heath watched with anxious eyes. While the others had been through this before, Evan was still a bundle of nerves. Chris held Evan close as the young man trembled with fear.

Chris gave Evan's cheek a kiss. "He will be alright. Adam told us it is very draining to be jumped. He will be physically and mentally exhausted for a day or two. You are so caring, my sweet boy." He whispered softly in Evan's ear.

Hunter pulled a thick, white plastic encased capsule out of his medical kit. With a "crack", he broke the capsule open and waved it under Adam's nose. As the strong, sharp smell penetrated his mind, Adam began to toss his head from side to side to get away from the strong odor. Hunter expertly kept the capsule under Adam's nose until Adam eyelids began to flutter and open.

"Hey there, baby. Come on my Viking, open those mata lulelei for me. Oute alofa la te oe." Roman spoke softly using the Samoan pet words Adam loved so much.

Hunter did one more check of Adam's vitals. "You're fine. Blood pressure is a bit low, but we know that's normal. A good feed and rest and you'll be one hundred percent again. We'll start packing up now." Hunter informed his patient with a bright smile.

Adam's eyes opened fully. "Ro?" His voice was once again low and deep. However it was also a bit airy and raspy from his paranormal experience.

"Yes, babe. It's me, you're back. You alright?" Roman still spoke softly. His fingers brushed lightly over Adam's brow.

Adam tried to sit up, but Roman gently held him down. "No, just rest. Hunter's orders. The others are packing up, rest until they finish. Do you remember anything?" The Parapsychologist in Roman took over. He was curious about the paranormal jump.

Adam nodded. "It was Caroline Sinclair, wasn't it? I could see and hear everything, but it was like I was floating above myself. I guess I am when a jump happens. The spirit pushes me out of my body. What happened?" He rubbed his eyes with his fingers.

While the group packed away the investigation equipment, Roman filled Adam in on the details of what had happened. With slight hesitation, Roman also told about the spirits kisses, Adam laughed.

"It's okay, babe. It was still me, sort of. As long as it was just a kiss. I'm glad Seth videoed it, I can't wait to see the results. Linda McMahon should be pleased as well. How did Evan take it?" Adam asked his husband. He was now sitting up, cross legged on the blanket. Adam sipped on a bottle of glucose water that Hunter had given him, to prevent shock.

"I can't wait to see the video either. I really don't know about Evan, I was kind of busy with Caroline. I'm sure Chris took excellent care of him." Roman replied honestly. He could see Evan rolling up the long lengths of cable, Chris at his side.

Adam called out to Evan. The young empath gave the roll of cable to Chris and hurried over to his mentor. "Adam, are you alright?" He looked at Adam with wide eyed anxiousness.

Adam held his hand out to Evan. He pulled the boy down to sit with him. "I'm fine. Exhausted, but that's normal. Sometimes a jump happens, and normally it's a benign spirit. They want to see and feel again. I don't mind, too much, as long as it _is_ benign. I just wish grandmother could warn me, but it happens too fast. Mark and Wade always work protection and Shawn is also ready. We'll talk more about it later. I'm alright and you need to finish packing up." Adam gave Evan's hair a tousle. Evan laughed, satisfied his mentor was alright, went back to work.

The College Hill Ghost Hunters finished packing. Just as Mark closed up the back of his SUV, Linda McMahon arrived to lock up. Heath had sent her a text message, once he knew Adam would be okay.

Adam was able to greet Linda. "I know you want to know, but we have to analyze everything first. Your spirits are still here, but there is nothing to fear. We'll give you a full report next Saturday. Come about three, Stephanie can tell you how to find us." He filled her in as much as he could, without giving away too much.

"I can't wait!. Sounds like something happened. Thank you for coming. I'll see you on Saturday. You go rest, you do look rather tired." Linda shook Adam's hand, then went to lock up the Brucemore.

On the way back to the hotel, the CHGH found an all night diner. They ordered a huge amount of burgers and onion rings to take back to the hotel. Everyone gathered in the Reigns' room to eat. They chatted about everything but the investigation. That would wait, they wanted Adam calm and relaxed so he could rest better.

After a good feed, the group went to their separate room to get some much needed sleep. Once he was safe in Roman's arms, Adam was able to fall into a deep and restful sleep. The next day, after a late brunch, the College Hill Ghost Hunters made the hour long drive back to Cedar Falls.

When everything was unloaded and stored back in the basement, Seth started getting the data ready to be analyzed. They were anxious to get started.

While Seth did his work, Dean went to check in at The Lunatic Fringe. He know Jimmy and Jey Uso could handle anything that came up, but the bar was Dean's baby. A good parent had to keep a watchful eye on their child.

Shawn and Hunter went home to unpack and freshen up. Hunter had to go and check on his patients in the hospital and Shawn wanted to see how the youth groups service had gone. They would go back to the Reigns' house on Monday night.

Chris went upstairs to help Evan unpack. After a very long goodnight kiss, Chris went home. He had to grade some papers and prepare the next days lectures. He too would return on Monday to help with the data.

Mark and Wade did their own unpacking. When the short task was done, Mark and Wade went to the grocery store to stock up for the week. It was Mark's week to cook, so the list was fairly short. He cooked three nights and they ate left overs the other nights. Wade loved Mark's cooking and was more than happy to share the chore with him. They had the sharing of running their home down to a well oiled machine.

Roman prepared a hot, relaxing bubble bath for Adam. Adam secretly relished in Roman's pampering, even though his mouth protested. Roman just laughed. He saw right past his husband. While Adam relaxed in the bubble filled tub, Roman unpacked their bags. When he finished he went into the kitchen. He wanted to cook a good meal for Adam. He decided on macaroni and cheese with pork chops and a good garden salad.

Jason had to hurry and change, he had to go on duty at five. It was his week to work the night shift. He hated to miss the data analysis meetings, but that's just the way it was.

Heath was a bit upset. So far, he didn't have any jobs lined up for the week. He hated this time of year. Most people didn't take vacations and the flu season hadn't started quite yet, so that meant jobs were scarcer. The flip side was, he'd have time to catch up with things around the house, and some CHGH paper work.

Heath put on a pot of stew to heat for Jason's supper. He usually kept a few meals in the freezer, ready to heat up on busy days.

Jason asked Heath to iron his uniform shirt while he took a shower. With a roll of his eyes, Heath agreed. He hated to iron, and Jason usually did his own, but he loved Jason, so he ironed away.

As the peaceful Sunday afternoon passed upstairs, down in the basement, Seth was excited. The last time Adam had been jumped, the camera hadn't shown much; this time however, it was different. Last time they had not yet gotten the thermal imaging camera. This time with the FLIR, the results were amazing.

When Roman saw the first set of FLIR data, he was ecstatic. He couldn't wait to show it to his lab students. All he needed was Linda McMahon's permission.

On the following Saturday, Linda arrived with Stephanie. Adam, Roman and Seth were there to discuss the evidence they had captured at the Brucemore.

"Stephanie, it's good to see you again. It was a pleasant surprise to find out your mother was our anonymous client. I have a feeling we owe you a thank you for recommending us." Adam gave the young lady a warm smile.

"I knew that she wanted some answers and you could probably get them for her. Now, what _did_ you find out?" Stephanie asked with a raised brow. She appeared to be even more excited than her mother. She had the notebook out she used for writing the article she was writing.

Seth flipped on the computer while Adam spoke. "First of all, we began our investigation in the library. We called out both out loud and through my mediumship. We tried for nearly two hours but no spirits responded. My Grandmother, who is my spirit guide tried to bring any spirits forward, to no avail. We decided to go outside and take a break, have some coffee and regroup. Myself, Roman and Evan were going back inside to see if a smaller group would get a response. Evan is an empath, and was going to try to talk to a spirit. Before we got into the house, something happened, Seth?" Adam explained, then nodded for Seth to start the video.

Linda and Stephanie put on the headphones Seth handed them. When they were ready, he pushed play. The video began with Roman's response to Caroline's comment about his hair. The video picked up the almost female tone to Adam's voice, but that was not the amazing part.

Both Linda and Stephanie gasped when the thermal image of Adam became clear. The rainbow aura that surrounded Adam took on a distinctly female shape. It appeared that Adam was wearing a long flowing skirt with a billowy blouse. His/her long hair fell down to his/her hips and looked to be blown by an unseen and unfelt wind. It was clearly obvious a female spirit had over taken Adam physically and mentally.

They listened intently to the conversation between Roman and Caroline Sinclair. A couple of times, Linda asked Seth to repeat the video when the conversation was soft. It was truly amazing to watch the spiritual aura transpose over Adam. Sometimes the rainbow was almost as bright as a flash of lightning, and sometimes it almost vanished. It constantly pulsated like a rhythmic heartbeat. It was simply mesmerizing.

When the video ended, the room in the basement was silent. Linda and Stephanie removed their headphones. It was Linda McMahon who broke the silence.

"That was simply amazing. You could actually tell that was Caroline Sinclair. The was definitely her profile. It's good to know they are happy. The staff will be glad to know the growling wasn't something evil. May I have a copy of this to play for the Board? More importantly, are you alright?" Linda asked in an awe filled voice.

"Of course. Seth has a copy ready for you. I too am glad the results were so good. It was quite an experience. Rest assured, I am fully recovered and back to normal." Adam spoke in a warm tone with a sweet smile.

"I would also like your permission to allow the doctoral students in my lab to be able to study the video. No one but those ten students will know the location, and then, as Stephanie can attest, the won't discuss the video outside of the lab. They sign the same confidentiality contract as we do." Roman spoke like the teacher he was.

"Sure, go ahead. I can't deny you and your students a chance to study something so amazing. Adam are you aware when that happens?" Linda was so fascinated by what she'd seen.

"Yes and no. It's like they push me out and I'm floating above my body. Watch this again, closer. Seth, play that time stamp, please." Adam nodded to the computer and Seth.

Seth returned the nod and cued up the video. "You won't need the headphones. Watch." Seth played the cued up time stamp. Seth continued. "Did you see it?" He asked the two women.

Both mother and daughter shook their heads "no". Seth again cued the time stamp. He quickly hit pause. "See it now?" He pointed to an extremely faint rainbow outline above Adam's body as Caroline took over. Shawn had been the one to spot it on Thursday's meeting. It was an extremely important catch.

"I see it. Is that... you?" Linda's mouth fell open in wonder. Stephanie was wide eyed with amazement. They were actually seeing Adam's "soul" separate from his body.

"I think so. Reverend Helmsley was the one that pointed it out. I happened so fast. Anyway, we caught no evidence in the house, but I think all your questions have been answered. I hope you are pleased with our work. It was an honor and privilege for us. Thank you so much." Adam ended the evidence reveal with a nod.

"More than pleased. I hope now, I can convince the Board to let you return. I'd love to know how they will feel after this. You would return, if I can arrange for it?" Linda asked pointedly, brow highly arched.

"We'd love to return. I'd like to know too. We will be making a trip to Ireland in June, but anytime after that would be great. Just call. Stephanie, is your article almost done?" Adam asked as he looked at her nearly filled notebook.

"Yes, Prof. For the March paper. You'll have the final draft next week. Professor Huffman is making it my final grade. I just hope it comes out right. My future is partially riding on this article." Stephanie spoke in earnest.

"I'm sure it will be brilliant. Your first draft looked perfect to me. I'm glad Booker doesn't grade my work." Roman said with a laugh.

"He is tough, but I suppose he has to be. Well mom, we'd better go. Brock is taking us to dinner tonight." Stephanie responded as she stood and closed her notebook.

Linda also stood, as did the three men. Seth gave Linda a disc in a jewel case, and hard copy of the dialog and a full report on the investigation. Friendly good byes and hugs were exchanged.

Roman couldn't wait to show the video to his doctoral students. He was especially grateful to Shawn for finding the brief glimpse of Adam's floating soul aura. He also couldn't wait for Bray to see it.

It was time for the the focus to be on the semester tests. Then the yearly finals. The trip to Ireland was fast approaching. They were leaving on the first of June.


	16. Bound for Ireland

The spring semester came to an end. Finals week was always stressful, but none more so than the ones that came at end the school term. Adam only had one test to give, but Roman had six, plus the lab. Adam hardly saw his husband, but, he was used to it.

Stephanie's article had come out in the March edition of "The Lion". It was concise and extremely well written. She presented the findings from the Robinson Caruso Island Park investigation, but she left the choice to believe or not to the reader. The article was totally unbiased, which is exactly what Adam and Roman wanted. The choice should always be left to the individual.

Because of the article, Stephanie would start her first semester as the Graduate Student Editor. She would now be second in command of "The Lion" and would only answer to Professor Booker Huffman.

Heath and Jason were also extremely busy. Jason had to do a lot of extra shifts in order to get so much time off for the trip to Ireland. Heath also had to work as many jobs as he could so they could have plenty of extra spending money. They both looked forward to the trip, and knew the extra work was worth it.

Evan and Chris also fell victim to the end of term "syndrome". They did manage to spend _some_ time together, but Evan had his nose buried in books and Chris was knee deep in preparing tests. At least they were together, either in Evan's room or at Chris' tiny apartment.

As a birthday gift to Evan, Chris paid for his ticket to Ireland and booked him to stay in hotel rooms with him. Evan was grateful as he'd only managed to get enough money saved for half the ticket. The couple were also looking forward to the trip.

Wade and Mark also worked long and hard to get the time off. Wade also wrote to his family in England and asked them to gather things would need for his spells and magics that he could not travel with. His Uncle assured him the things would be sent to Sheamus to look after until Wade arrived.

Seth had been on contact, almost weekly with Sheamus. The Irishman promised to be at the airport to help with the equipment. Seth couldn't wait to see his friend again.

Dean was excited for the trip, yet, part of him was scared to leave his bar for so long. He drilled the Uso twins on all ordering and paper work, especially the sales tax forms. He trusted the twins, but still, it was like leaving your child with a baby sitter for the first time, being so far out of reach.

Hunter had arranged for a Doctor from Doctor's Without Borders to come take over his private practice while he was gone. The Doctor, an older man named Mike Chioda, came in April so he could learn the practice and meet the patients.

Doctor Chioda was also staying with Hunter and Shawn. He would live in and watch their house while the Helmsley's were in Ireland. Chioda would also keep an eye on the Reigns–Reso-Calaway house at the other end of the alley. They all got along like long lost friends, and Hunter had utter confidence in Mike which transferred to Hunter's patient's so all would be well under control.

Shawn had arranged for the Theological Students and the Church Youth Groups to fill the pulpit. They were more than glad to help out, as Pastor Shawn had never really had a good, long vacation. The Church would miss him, but knew Shawn would have a good, relaxing time on his trip.

Things were still going well with Paul Heyman and his family. Molly had not taken a drink since the night of Sarah's "visit" and Paul had remained faithful to Molly. Paul and Brock also worked on their relationship. Every Sunday, after church, they either played golf or tennis, or sometimes handball.

Paul was proud when Brock graduated with honors in sports education. He was also proud when Brock announced he was going for his Masters Degree in sports with plans to teach and be a high school football coach.

Molly was so happy and pleased that Paul was finally the father Brock had so desperately wanted and needed. As for Adam... as far as Molly was concerned, the man was a saint.

Adam got his reward, when Bray told him, that starting in the fall, he'd be teaching a class called Introduction to Paranormal Studies. Adam would continue to teach his class on Mystic Cultures. Roman was proud and pleased. It was one less class for him to teach and that added an hour to his Doctorate Lab class.

Graduation came and went. Roman, Adam and Chris were there as faculty, on the main stage with the other professors and dignitaries. Adam thought Roman looked so handsome in his formal Doctorate robes and caplet. Chris was handsome as well and Evan's heart fluttered when his saw Chris in _his_ Doctoral robes.

Now that Northern Iowa University was on its summer break, it was time to get ready to go to Ireland!

About a week before the flight, Heath arranged to rent a mini bus. Mark and Wade were both licensed to drive such a vehicle. They would drive from Cedar Falls to Chicago. It was just over a five hour drive.

They were going to fly out on Wednesday, June first. Mark wanted to leave Cedar Falls on Sunday. He wanted to allow for anything unexpected, it was just his way, and nobody minding arriving in Chicago early. It would give Heath plenty of time to pick up the set of carnet that would be waiting at the Customs office in the airport.

Seth had their equipment packed and ready. There were four totes filled with the equipment they were all used to. He also had converters so he could keep all the batteries charged.

Hunter had packed a smaller tote with his medical equipment. He would also need a carnet, and was happy to let Heath handle it. Hunter's carnet would require a lot of extra paper work as medical instruments and medications were involved.

Each member of the team was allowed one suitcase and one carry on bag, plus their backpacks. Heath warned everyone not to over pack, as they would be able to do laundry. That's why they put Heath in charge, he was smart and practical.

Adam and Jason were thrilled when their mothers returned from their around the world trip. The reunion was short, however. Both Carol and Judy wanted to go back to Canada to visit family. So, a week later, they were gone again. Adam and Jason were glad to know their moms were having a good time and able to do it now, while they were young enough to truly enjoy it.

Evan was starting to get nervous. He'd applied for a passport, but it hadn't arrived yet. If it didn't arrive before tomorrow afternoon, he'd have to miss out on the trip. He was near tears when Chris came to take him out on Thursday evening.

Chris had taken Evan to the Broom Factory. The restaurant was a local favorite that featured wonderful, completely made from scratch Italian food. Chris was worried, Evan barely picked at his food.

"Baby, what's wrong? Usually you stuff yourself when we come here." Chris expressed his concern with a frown.

Evan sighed. Finally the tears bubbled out of his beautiful brown eyes. "My passport, it hasn't come. If I don't get it tomorrow, I can't go! I applied two months ago!" He hid his face in his hands. He was thankful they sat at a table in the darkened corner.

Chris too sighed. "Evvy, you should have told me. We'll go to the Courthouse tomorrow. With your ticket, you can get an instant passport. Don't fret, baby, Chrissy will take care of it." Chris leaned over and gave Evan a kiss on the cheek.

"I can do that? I _should_ have said something sooner. Oh, I am falling in love with you." Evan replied softly.

"I'm desperately falling in love with you, too." Chris gave Evan another kiss.

Later, when Chris and Evan returned to the Olive Street house, Heath, Mark, Wade, Adam and Roman were sitting on the front porch. They greeted Chris and Evan and invited the couple to join them. Chris sat on the top step, Evan sat next to him and looked very much like a lost, drowned puppy.

Adam saw the look on Evan's face and became worried. "Evan, you look like a kicked puppy. Did you and Chris have a fight? Jericho? Did you hurt him?" He crossed his arms over his chest and gave Chris a very deadly glare.

Evan spun on Adam and held Chris' hand. "No! Oh God no! Chris had been nothing but... wonderful. No, I've done... my passport hasn't arrived yet! If we can't get an emergency one tomorrow, I can't go! What am I gonna do?" He put his head on Chris' shoulder and nearly wept again.

"Oh, Squirt!" Heath cried out suddenly and dashed into the house. No one knew what had just happened as they all stared after Heath... all but Chris, he was too concerned with comforting his boy to notice Heath's strange actions.

Heath came back out on to the porch. He looked flushed and flustered. "Evan, you can kill me if you want, but his came almost a month ago. I put it on my desk and I just... forgot. I had all those shifts at Deere and I … I'm so fucking sorry." He held out a long, thick white envelope to Evan.

Evan took the envelope and tore it open. His brand new passport fell into his hand. A cry of relief passed over his lips as he clutched the little blue booklet with the sliver eagle on the cover to his chest.

"I am _so_ sorry, Evan. I could just die." Heath was nearly in tears himself. He felt so bad that he could have done that to little Evan.

Evan stood up and hugged Heath. "I can't be mad at you, Heath. You've had all that carnet paperwork to deal with, plus all your temp jobs. I am glad you remembered now though... thank you." He hugged Heath tightly. Evan was too relieved to be mad... but not Chris.

"Heath! How could you have forgotten something so fucking important! If you forgot that, what else have you fucking forgotten? Someone better double check that carnet paperwork!" Chris snapped at Heath. His words were as nasty as rusty razors. Heath had made his Evvy cry with worry. Chris had vowed no one would ever hurt his boy again.

Evan rounded on Chris. Fire sparked in his dark eyes. He held Heath protectively in his arms. "Christopher Keith Jericho! How _dare_ you! Heath is great at doing all the paperwork! He didn't mean to forget my passport. He's worked ten different jobs this month, done all the booking and paperwork for the trip and kept Jason clean, fed and watered! You don't dare be mean to him! Now you apologize this instant, or I'll room with others on the trip!" Evan's words were every bit as biting as Chris' had been.

Chris hung his head. "I _am_ sorry, Heath. I'm sure you didn't hurt Evan on purpose. I just... vowed Evan would _never_ be hurt again. It was an accident. Forgive me? Both of you?" Chris' blue eyes were filled with regret and he looked like a reprimanded child.

Heath smiled at Chris. "Of course I forgive you. I did a stupid thing. The postman came just as I was getting ready to go to Deere. I signed for the letter, dropped it on my desk and just forgot. I can promise you, the carnets are in order and will be waiting for me on Monday at O'Hare. I'm so sorry, Evan, but at least you have it now." Heath explained how it all happened.

Evan still frowned at Chris. "I know you meant well, and I love that you're so protective of me, but you blew up at Heath _after_ he apologized. Now, I forgive you, both of you. Let's draw a line under this. Ireland, here we come!" He spoke in an excited tone.

The line _was_ drawn, everything and every one was fine.

Sunday morning dawned gray and cloudy. It figured, it was Memorial Day weekend. It usually rained at least once, putting a damper on the first barbecues of the season. It was an Iowa tradition.

Mark wanted to drive on Sunday because the Interstate traffic would be light. The mini bus was parked in the back yard, ready to be loaded. The only thing Mark hated was the color, the bus was an almost neon yellow, well, at least they would be seen in the rain.

Wade was down by the mini bus, going over the engine with a fine toothed comb. He was taking no chances with a strange vehicle. Mark watched Wade from the window of their bedroom.

In a rare show of his emotions, tears welled up in Mark's eyes. He was so filled with love for Wade, he would walk the fires of hell for the man. He couldn't wait to see Wade in his homeland. It looked to be a wonderful trip. Mark Calaway sniffed deeply and dried his eyes with his fingers.

Roman and Adam were packing their their last minute items into their shower kits. "So, are you ready for this? I mean the elemental?" Roman stopped what he was doing and placed his hands on Adam's shoulders. The look in his gray eyes said it all... he was worried.

Adam gave his husband a soft smile. He wrapped his arms around Roman's waist and laid his head on Roman's shoulder. "I think so. I'm sure Wade will be able to protect us. Can you believe the good luck card we got from Paul and Molly? That night sure saved us. I'm so happy Sarah came to talk." Adam's breath was warm against Roman's neck.

Roman gently stroked Adam's soft hair. "I am too. Please my Viking, don't take stupid risks. You know the warnings Mister Ryan gave us in that email." He held Adam closer.

Adam's entire face scrunched up. "Ro? You're really worried aren't you?" He craned his head to look into Roman's eyes. He did see a deep worry there.

Roman nodded, his bearded chin rubbed against Adam's head. "Yeah, a bit. Elementals are dangerous. And this one has quite a reputation. I mean Mister Ryan swears he was pushed off that ladder, and it shattered his kneecap. He said it was the elemental. I just don't want you hurt. Make sure grandma protects you too." He spoke softly, but firmly. There was a slight tremble to his voice.

"She will my Islander. Come on, We'd better finish up. You know Mark and his schedules." Adam gave Roman a kiss and pulled away. Roman gave Adam another kiss, then went back to packing.

Wade smiled when Chris pulled up in his Mustang. He helped Chris with his bags. Next Wade helped Chris cover the Mustang with a specially made cover. Chris was going to leave the car until they returned.

Before he fitted the cover over the hood Wade spoke. "Best to undo the battery. Will be safer. I will recharge the battery when we get back." The mechanic looked at the history professor with expectant eyes. He loved the car and wanted the best care taken of it.

Chris grinned. "Go ahead. I was going to ask about that anyway. I'm sorry, Wade. I love her too much to sell her. But, you'll be the first to know if the time ever comes." It was the same conversation they always had about the car.

"Ten thousand, cash, right now?" Wade asked with a grin as he disconnected the battery. He closed the hood with a gentle "click".

Chris scoffed. "New tactic? Sorry, Wade, it is a fair offer, but no. Betsy is happy with me. Besides, Evan would kill me, he loves her too." He helped Wade fasten the cover the rest of the way.

"I had to try... had to try." Wade gave a laugh. He picked up Chris' bag and carried it to the mini bus. Seth and Dean had begun to bring the totes of equipment up from the basement.

Shawn and Hunter arrived walking down the alley. Each pulled a suitcase behind them and carried a pack on their backs. Hunter's tote of medical equipment was in the basement. He'd give it a final check before sealing the tote.

One by one, people gathered in the basement. Jason was the last to leave the upstairs. He and gone to make sure every window and door was locked. Heath had stopped their mail and newspapers starting on Tuesday, after the Monday holiday. Doctor Chioda was also going to keep an eye on things while staying at the Helmsley's. Jason was grateful. Also, Jason's fellow officers had agreed to keep an extra eye out on both houses and the church.

Shawn gathered everyone in a circle, even Mark and Wade joined in. Shawn asked a brief prayer for a safe journey and to bless Mark while driving. With an "Amen" the prayer ended.

Mark stepped up. "Here are the rules. Take a seat and stay in it, buckle up. We are not stopping for piss breaks every fifty miles. We'll stop for fuel and lunch. I don't mind music, but no rap crap, and Adam, sweetheart, we all love you, but please, do not sing! If anything happens like a tire blow out, remain calm. Alright let's load up." He gave his hands a clap and wet up the stairs. He felt a fool giving such a speech to grown men... but then again, he did have Jason and Dean... so the speech was very necessary.

"Sorry guys, he's used to dealing with students on buses..." Wade said with a laugh as he followed Mark up the stairs.

Seth approached Mark, he was a bit hesitant. "Um... I don't mean to interfere but, I researched road conditions this morning. Parts of Interstate 88 are closed. Route 20 is clear, all the way to Chicago. I know you prefer Interstate, but... anyway, here." He handed Mark the DOT information he'd printed out that morning.

Mark studied the paper. "Thanks, Seth. I'll appreciate this any time. Looks like Route 20 wins. Why don't you look up stops in Dubuque. I really do appreciate this, I hate detours around closed Interstates. It's the same amount of time either way. You're good at the computer. Say, did Sheamus say if I can drive with my license in Ireland?" Mark folded up the paper and put it in his shirt pocket. He gave the man with black and blond hair a pat on the back.

Seth felt relieved. He hadn't been sure how Mark would feel about his help with the DOT report. "Glad to be of service. Yeah, he said US drivers licenses are accepted in the Republic of Ireland. He said once you get there, he'll help you get a temporary permit to drive in Northern Ireland, Wales and England. He said it's really easy, they will check your record, charge you seventy pounds and you'll be set to drive in the UK for six months. You will like Sheamus, he's the Demonologist for their group." Seth stated as he helped Mark load the baggage into the mini buses luggage compartment.

"Sounds good. I can't wait to meet him. I want to learn more about this elemental spirit. He's been to Leap many times, right?" Mark asked as he slid Hunter's medical tote in place.

"Yes, Sean Ryan, the owner of the castle calls on Sheamus a lot. I think Adam will have his hands full. Oh, Wade, your family sent the supplies. Sheamus is keeping them safe. They also sent a letter, he'll bring it to the airport." Seth gave Wade a smile and put the last tote into the compartment.

Heath gave the folder with all their documents in it one final check. There was a folder just like it in Adam's backpack, and another in Hunters. Each folder contained copies of all their passports, numbers of their traveller's checks, all their birth certificates, the carnet applications, drivers licenses and airline tickets. It was difficult to travel in a large group. Heath had help from Evan and had been glad to have it.

Evan made a check mark next to each item he'd written in a small notebook as Heath called out each group of papers. It was the fourth time they'd run the checklist. After all, there would not be any turning back to get a forgotten paper.

"... and lastly, Hunter, you have twelve airline tickets?" Heath looked at the older man with a highly arched brow and anxious look.

Hunter pulled an envelope from British Airways from his inside coat pocket. He carefully counted twelve first class tickets. It was nearly forty-eight thousand dollars worth of tickets. But, for a once in a lifetime trip, it was worth it.

Roman, Adam, Mark and Wade truly needed the extra leg room and first class was the only way to get it. For Evan and Dean, first class would be like wonderland, especially for Dean, he'd never flown before. All the others, save Evan, had flown first class before. However, this time they would have private suites, that was new for everyone. A few of the couples planned to join the mile high club.

Mark closed and locked the baggage compartment. "Alright, Ghost Hunters, Ireland or bust! Mount up!" He gave his large hands another clap and shooed everyone towards the door of the mini bus.

Dean led Seth to the last row of seats at the back. Chris and Evan sat in front of them. Heath and Jason sat in front of Chris and Evan. Adam and Roman sat across the aisle from Heath and Jason. Shawn and Hunter sat in front of the Reso's and Wade sat in the single seat behind Mark.

With a turn of the key and rev of the engine, the College Hill Ghost Hunters were off for their summer adventure. They would return to Chicago on July first and finally return home to Cedar Falls on July fourth. Once again Mark wanted to drive on the holiday to avoid the heavy traffic.

After going through Waterloo, Mark turned East on Route 20. "Well boys, thanks to Seth, no one has to watch for exits. We will stay on this road till we reach Chi Town. We'll stop in Dubuque for a late lunch. Evan as the newest, you get first choice of music." Mark used the speaker on the bus to talk to his passengers.

Evan smiled. "Um... I want to hear... the eighty one hit wonders!" He called out his choice of CD's.

Wade flipped through the CD pouch. He located the requested CD. He leaned forward and slipped the disc into the player. It was his job to run the music and radio so Mark could stay focused on driving. People had died in horrible accidents, simply because they were putting a CD in the player, their eyes off the road for only a split second... a split second too long.

Three hours later, they stopped in Dubuque for lunch. They ate at a fast food burger joint. It was next to a gas station so Mark could top off the tank.

The weather was still cloudy, but so far, the rain had held off. Mark hoped it stayed that way.

Adam took his usual stroll to stretch his legs. Roman always worried about Adam when they made a long trip, because of Adam's bad neck.

Adam had injured his neck as a child. He had taken a bad fall while playing Spiderman. It was so bad, Judy had at first thought her son had broken his neck. Luckily he hadn't, but ever since, things like long trips and stress aggravated the old injury.

The aggravation caused Adam to have severe headaches, sometimes even blinding migraines. Hunter always carried injections that helped when Adam's headaches reached the point of a migraine. Roman knew a headache of some degree would occur on this trip. He could only hope it wouldn't be crippling.

After the mini bus had been refuelled, and the tires checked, they were off again. Shawn had second choice of CD's so now Elvis filled the air.

Seth and Dean slept, curled against each other. Chris and Evan talked quietly. Heath stroked Jason's thigh gently and looked out the window while Jason dozed. Adam's head rested on Roman's shoulder as they too spoke quietly. Shawn read while Hunter slept. Wade had his arms loosely around Mark's shoulders as Mark drove. It was cozy and comfortable.

They stopped two more times before they reached Chicago. Mark was glad they didn't have to go into Chicago proper. He drove right to the Marriott Hotel that was a mile from O'Hare International Airport.

Hunter checked them in. They had two, three bedroom suites. Roman, Adam, Chris, Evan, Jason and Heath were in one suite. Hunter, Shawn, Dean, Seth, Mark and Wade were in the adjoining suite.

Seth followed the bellman out to oversee the unloading of their baggage and equipment totes. The bellman was extremely careful as he handled the totes.

"Wish I could take you to the airport. You're very careful." Seth said with a grateful smile. The bellman smiled in return. You didn't earn good tips by being reckless with people's baggage.

"They will be careful, my brother loads for B.A." The bellman gave Seth a wink.

Seth gave the bellman a twenty dollar tip. It was a lot, but it was worth it. After the bellman left, Seth stacked the totes neatly in the corner of their suite. Hunter took his medical tote into his and Shawn's bedroom.

After dinner in the hotel restaurant, Heath had a final job to do. He needed a final list of the totes contents so he could label them for the carnet.

Hunter handed Heath the list of medical equipment in his tote. The drugs he carried would have to be approved by customs, as a Doctor, only he could could carry the medications.

Everyone got a good nights rest. Adam was happy, he'd avoided getting a headache because of Roman's care. Roman had massaged Adam's neck for a good hour before bed.

At ten in the morning, Jason and Heath took the hotel shuttle to the airport. Heath went to the customs office and did the final paper work for the carnets.

The carnet proved that the CHGH owned all the equipment in the totes. The carnets meant that the totes could travel without any duties or taxes, as they went from country to country. Heath paid the two-hundred and sixty dollars and received a set of carnets.

One set contained four carnets for each tote. One copy for Heath, and one for Seth, another for Adam and the fourth for Hunter. That way if Heath lost his copies, someone else would have a set.

They caught the noon shuttle back to the hotel. Jason and Heath met the others for lunch in the restaurant.

The rest of Monday and Tuesday were spent relaxing. On Tuesday, Chris, Evan Dean and Seth took the train into downtown Chicago. Evan wanted to go up in the former Sears Tower and so did Dean. When they finished, they stopped and got four huge Chicago style deep dish pizzas to take back for supper. It was almost twenty five pounds of pizza and the twelve men didn't leave a single crumb.

Wednesday was flying day. Their flight was scheduled to leave at five forty-five that evening. They got to the airport at three. It was early, but they had all their totes and baggage to check in.

British Airways were extremely helpful. Heath had warned them ahead of time about their totes, so they were ready for the group of ghost hunters. They assured both Seth and Heath the totes would be handled with the greatest care.

Because they were flying supreme first class, the CHGH were taken to the Concorde Room, the most luxurious lounge in the airport. Their private booth was stocked with drinks and refreshments.

Evan was looking at the information on their flight. "Oh... wow... I wonder... isn't it odd that our flight covers three thousand, six hundred and sixty-six miles...six, six, six... kind of … strange." He bit his lip nervously.

Wade laughed. "Six, six, six is just a number. Nothing more, nothing less. It's not something evil. That's Hollywood, so don't fret about it, Squirt." Wade gave Evan a reassuring pat on the back.

"That's good. I feel better." Evan gave Wade a smile and took a cookie from the tray. Chris also flashed Wade a grateful smile.

At five-fifteen, a Concierge escorted them to their flight. Hunter handed over their tickets. He received their boarding passes and got back their return tickets.

Their carry on bags were taken onto the plane by the handlers for First Class. It was all part of the service that had been well paid for.

Next, they were escorted onto the plane. Each couple had their own host or hostess. There were eight first class suites and the CHGH had six of them.

Each suite had two side by side seats that could be laid flat and created a queen sized bed that was six foot six inches long. The bed was covered by a white cotton duvet and rich feather pillows.

The suites also had a bathroom filled with soaps, shampoos, conditioners, toothpaste and other amenities. They were also two pairs of luxuriously soft pyjamas and slipper to change in to.

The suites had larger than normal windows with drapes to block the sun. There was a flat screen television on the wall with hundreds of movies to chose from. They could watch from both the sitting and lying positions. It was a flying hotel room.

Each couple settled in. They were all awe struck. First class was one thing, but this was the first time any of them had been in a private suite.

Chris watched with joy as Evan oohed and awed over each new thing he discovered. He loved knowing Evan was enjoying himself. It had been worth breaking into his hard earned savings to pay for Evan's ticket.

Evan came out of the bathroom. He'd changed into the pyjamas and slippers. They were a bit too large, but to Chris, Evan looked adorable.

Evan went to Chris and hugged him. "Thank you, Chrissy. Best birthday present ever." he gave Chris a soft kiss.

Before Chris could respond, a voice came in softly in the overhead speaker. They were asked to sit down,fasten their seat belts and to turn on their televisions. Everyone did as instructed and watched the safety video as the plane taxied down the runway. Heath clung to Jason, he loved flying, but hated take offs and landings.

Soon their plane was speeding down the runway. The nose lifted and suddenly they were airborne. The engines whined as the plane climbed higher and higher. Eventually the jet levelled out, they were at cruising altitude and the seat belt signs went dark.

Adam and Roman got into their pyjamas and laid out their seats. They snuggled in to watch movies. It wasn't long till all the couples did the same.

At seven, dinner was served. They enjoyed a fresh garden salad, seared beefsteak with vegetables, and potatoes fondant with a horseradish sauce. Dessert was a warm blueberry crumble with vanilla ice cream. A cheese plate with port finished off the gourmet meal.

Later that night, all the couples but Chris and Evan joined the mile high club. It was nice to be able to make love on a plane, in a bed, and not a cramped public bathroom.

Evan and Chris were curled up together and necked heavily. Chris left a nice hickey on Evan's neck, marking the boy as his.

Each couple drifted off to a peaceful sleep as they flew high over the Atlantic Ocean.

Their flight was set to land at seven twenty-five in the morning, so a light breakfast was served at six. It wasn't long till the plane began to lower from the sky.

At seven thirty, the jets wheels screeched as they hit the landing tarmac of Dublin Airport.

The College Hill Ghost Hunters Irish adventure was about to begin... and something... was _very_ aware of their arrival.


	17. Ireland at Last

The College Hill Ghost Hunters waited in the baggage claim for their luggage. Heath and Seth would have to go to Customs to claim their totes. As Jason watched for their bags, Heath dug out his folder and got the carnet papers ready.

"We'll get Sheamus to help us. He's waiting for us, he sent a text." Seth expressed as he spoke to Heath.

The others collected their bags and joined Heath. "Well, we made it, and no luggage was lost. Are we ready?" Adam asked his group.

Everybody was ready. Seth led the group as he was the only one, other than Dean who knew what Sheamus looked like. The ghost hunters breezed through the main customs and emerged into the Dublin Airport.

Seth let out a shout as he saw his college friend. Sheamus Farrelly was a tall, muscular man with red hair and a red goatee style beard with a mustache. His skin was as pale as milk. He had laughing blue eyes and a toothy white smile. Sheamus greeted Seth with a bone crushing hug.

When Sheamus spoke, it was very clear he was Irish, his accent was thick. "Hey fella, tis great to see ya. How was the flight?" he asked in a friendly voice. He never once stopped smiling.

"Good to see you too. The flight was fantastic. We had private bedrooms! I want you to meet everyone." Seth stated to his friend.

Seth proceeded to introduce Sheamus to his fellow members of the College Hill Ghost Hunters. The Irishman greeted everyone as if they were a long, lost brother. He was especially pleased to see Dean once again.

When the introductions were over, Sheamus went to Wade. "This letter arrived for you, along with some boxes. The boxes are at my place, but I thought you'd like to have the letter now. That's beautiful ring." Sheamus smiled as Wade took the letter with his left hand.

Wade grinned. "Mark had it made for me, it's my engagement ring. Thank you for the letter. I hope the boxes aren't in your way." He put he letter in his pocket. He'd read it at the first chance he got.

"We have to to the carnet office at Customs." Heath piped up in an anxious tone. He would not be able to relax until the equipment totes were safe in his hands.

"Right. Why don't you fellas grab a cup of tea. The Shop is at the front of the airport. We'll meet you there when we're done." Sheamus pointed in the direction of the airport tea shop.

Heath and Seth went off with Sheamus. The old friends chatted a mile a minute as they vanished out of sight. Roman led the others to the restaurant. The flight had been so wonderful, the team was well rested. Hunter was sure at some point though, jet lag would set in, but a good rest would cure it quickly.

Everything went smoothly at the carnet office. All five totes were released safely to Heath. Sheamus helped load the totes onto a baggage cart. When the cart was loaded, Sheamus pulled it along behind him as he led Heath and Seth to the restaurant.

Sheamus and Seth talked about the kinds of equipment locked in the totes on the cart. Sheamus was very interested, especially in the teddy bear.

"I brought some video for you to see. It's some of the most amazing EVP captures ever. I also brought some other videos. We've had some fantastic results lately." Seth explained as they walked.

Heath spoke up. "Sheamus are you and your group getting increased evidence?"

Sheamus nodded. "Actually we have. I don't necessarily think activity has increased, I think equipment is getting better. So, Roman runs your data through the University lab? That must be something. I wish we had a program like that. Our Universities are too... stuffy to study the paranormal." Sheamus sighed deeply. For as much as Irish people believed in the paranormal, they didn't want to study it scientifically.

"Yes, he does. Sometimes the students find thing we miss or are able to debunk things we can't." Heath replied with a grin.

Sheamus gave a crooked smile. "That would be wonderful, to have on hand. Oops fellas, here we are." He stopped at the airport tea shop restaurant. The CHGH were at three tables in front of the restaurant. Jason waved when he saw his husband.

Seth went to get cups of tea for himself, Heath and Sheamus. Heath sat next to Jason with one foot on the baggage cart with the totes.

"Well, fellas, so you made it. Your hotel is all set. Your command van and SUV are there waiting. We took them over last night. You can drive with your licenses any where in the Republic, but to go anywhere else you have to get a temporary permit, but it's easy. What are your plans?" Sheamus asked as he sipped the tea Seth had brought him.

Mark spoke up. "I appreciate you letting us use your vehicles. They will be in good hands. Wade and I both work in the University Transportation Department. I just have to remember to keep to the left. Wade will drive the SUV. I guess that we will settle into the hotel, but that's up to our boss." He gave and nod and smile toward Adam.

Adam ducked his head. "Yeah, we'll settle in at the hotel. Mister Ryan expects us on Saturday right?" He looked at Sheamus with an arched brow.

"Yeah. He's cleared the entire weekend for the investigation. You're the first group to have twenty-four hour access to Leap. I would strongly advise spending the time until Saturday getting a lot of rest. You _will_ get activity at Leap. The question is, _how_ much? I don't want to start negative, but later, you and I need to discuss the elemental. Which you _will_ encounter." Sheamus still smiled, but his voice became quiet and serious as he spoke of the elemental spirit.

Mark nodded. "Yes, I do want to know all I can. I understand you're also a Demonologist?" He sipped his tea and looked seriously at the pale young man.

Sheamus nodded. "Indeed I am. However, I'm sure you are much more experienced. Also, there has never been a Wizard at Leap. I will be curious about that. I was hoping that perhaps I could join you?" He looked pointedly at Adam as the leader of the group..

"We'd love to have you come along. Good to have someone with us who knows the building. Will you be willing to sign our form? It states our rules and confidentiality requirement. You would of course, realize any data gathered would belong to us?" Adam explained to Sheamus with his own brow raised. He wanted things clear from the start.

Sheamus grinned. "No problem, fella. It would be the same with my group. Great. Well, why don't we meet for dinner tomorrow night. We can discuss the details then. Now, I'm sure you're ready to get out of here and to your hotel. They were thrilled to get your reservations, by the way. They've never had all three of their suites rented for so long before." He joked as he stood, a signal to the others it was time to leave.

The twelve men plus Sheamus, all the totes and baggage were loaded into Sheamus' SUV. It was very tight fit. Evan and Heath had to sit on the laps of their loved ones. It took about an hour to reach the town of Tullamore. Their hotel, the County Arms was just a few miles further on to the small town of Roscrea in County Offlay.

The seventy room, two story County Arms looked more like a small castle than a hotel. The building overlooked the beautiful, lush, green Brenden Park. It was simply charming.

"We're five miles from Leap. There were some hotels that were closer, but they were booked. Besides, I think you will appreciate the distance. There are your vehicles and here are the keys. Seth, just call if you need anything. I'll see you tomorrow for dinner. Have a good rest." Sheamus said his goodbyes after everything had been off loaded. Everyone waved as the Irishman drove away.

Three bellboys helped take their baggage up to their two bedroom suites. One on the first floor, and two on the second floor.

Each suite was nineteen hundred square feet of open and airy space. All the windows went from floor to ceiling, with splendid views of the park. Each suite had a separate living room with a mahogany dining table, chairs, writing desk, complimentary mini bar, large comfortable sofas and sitting chairs. There was also a small guest bathroom with a toilet and sink.

Each of the bedrooms had a four poster, king sized bed, a large closet, flat screen television and floor to ceiling windows. The bedrooms each had a master bathroom with sit down style showers and a jacuzzi tub. The shower head could also be adjusted to spurt steam for a spa. There was a built in radio and fantastic lighting around the vanity.

All the men were pleased with the size and comfort of the rooms. After all, the hotel would be their home for the next few weeks.

In the two upstairs suites, Adam and Roman shared with Jason and Heath. In the adjoining suite, their neighbours were Shawn, Hunter, Chris and Evan. Chris was happy because his Evvy was happy.

Downstairs, Mark and Wade shared with Seth and Dean. Mark liked being where he could keep an eye out on their borrowed transportation. Seth wanted the room because it had more and better Internet and computer connections. It was also next to a private conference room, which they had rented for doing their data analysis. All in all the members of the College Hill Ghost Hunters were happy and quite content.

"Ad's hows your head?" Jason asked as he carried Heath's pack to their bedroom.

Adam grinned. "Fantastic. For the first time, I don't have a headache from flying. The seat actually made a great bed. Plus, Roman helped." He flashed his near brother a sly wink.

"Ohhh, like I helped Gingersnap. Say, Evan was pretty excited. It was sweet of Chris to pay for his ticket. Think they joined the club?" He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

"William Jason Reso! I heard that! You leave the Squirt alone. It's none of our business. Adam, let's put our computers on the writing desk." Heath slapped Jason on the back of the head. He then pulled his lap top out of his carry on bag.

Hunter sat on the sofa of their living room and read the brochures of hotel activities. "Babe, they have a golf course. It's only two miles from here and hotel guests can play for free. Oh, you will love this, there is fishing and the hotel restaurant will prepare your catch." He read to Shawn from the booklet.

Evan stood behind Hunter and read over the Physician's shoulder. "Oh Chris! They have horseback riding, hiking and biking! Will you take me for a horseback ride? I love horses!" He turned to Chris who was setting up his lap top on the writing desk.

Shawn had perked at the word fishing. He now sat next to his husband and read he brochure as well. After all, even though they were in Ireland to do a paranormal investigation, it was also a vacation. He was determined to go fishing; at least once.

Chris patted his lap. Evan practically skipped over to his boyfriend and sat on Chris' lap. Chris gave Evan a gentle kiss and hugged his boy close. "If that's what you want, then we will do it. I want you to enjoy this trip. Think of it as an ongoing birthday present." Chris stroked Evan's hair gently as Evan rested his head on Chris' shoulder.

"Chrissy, you are good to me. This is your trip too. We can go hiking, I know you love it." Evan gave a huge yawn as he snuggled closer to Chris.

"Tired, baby? Jet lag is catching up with you." Chris adjusted Evan on his lap in order to pull him even closer. Evan was already nearly asleep as he nodded in response to Chris' question.

Shawn and Hunter looked at the couple sitting at the desk, then at each other. A new, young love was wonderful to watch blossom into something deeper.

"If you're tired, the best thing is to sleep. Your body is adjusting its self. Think I'm about ready for a nap myself. Care to join me my love?" Hunter too gave a yawn.

Chris gave a soft chuckle. "He's sound asleep. We'll see you later, have a nice nap guys." Chris managed to stand without waking Evan as he held him in his strong arms. He took Evan to their bedroom.

Later, everyone did their own thing for dinner. While it was good to be a close knit group, doing separate things was what helped keep them that way.

After dinner, Chris, Evan, Wade and Mark took romantic strolls in the park. Wade loved it when Mark was truly romantic. It didn't happen often so when it did, it was special.

Mark led Wad to a bench that overlooked a beautiful lily pad pond. The moonlight glittered like liquid silver with diamond accents. Frogs chirruped and night hunting birds cried out as they searched for insects. It was as concert, conducted by nature herself.

Wade laid his head on Mark's shoulder, and gave a sigh of contentment. "My soul feels at home. I guess because I am close to my ancestral home. Our roots run deep." Wade spoke softly. Mark held Wade close.

Mark's deep voice was soft. "That makes sense. I forgot to ask, was your letter good?" He hesitated to ask. Some of Wade's family had been against him leaving his homeland.

Wade moved to the United States when he was twenty, to escape from his wizardry. Wade found the job at NIU and started out as an oil changer. Over the years he'd worked his way up. In the mean time, he'd met Mark, and their relationship developed.

Not long after meeting Mark, Wade knew he couldn't escape who he really was. Mark helped him realize what a special thing being a true Wizard was. Wade worked to hone and train his powers. When Roman and Adam had approached himself and Mark about joining the CHGH, Wade knew he'd found a purpose for his skills. He'd proved his usefulness many times over the years.

Wade looked up at Mark. "My Uncle is very glad I am here, and he is the one that sent the supplies. So that is good. No one dared go against him. He's the Archmage of the family. He hopes we can come to Avebury. He feels it will strengthen and recharge my powers." He had a content tone to his voice.

"I'm glad. We will get there, I'm sure. I can't imagine our work at Leap will take the entire four weeks. I know Adam wants to go as well. I'm sure your Uncle is right, going home always refuels your soul." Mark still spoke softly. He was happy Wade's Uncle had welcomed him home. Mark knew Wade had been worried about it. The couple sat quietly and enjoyed just being together.

Chris and Evan found a bench that was by a fountain in a flower garden. The fountain was slow and gentle as the water flowed and bubbled. It too looked like silver in the moonlight.

Evan stood up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin. He closed his eyes and made a wish, kissed the coin and tossed into the pool the fountain flowed through. Other coins glittered in the moonlight, wishes waiting to be filled.

"What did you wish for, baby?" Chris asked softly as Evan curled back up next to him on the bench. Chris wrapped Evan in his arms and kissed his temple.

Evan chuckled. "Can't tell, it won't come true. Chris, these last months have been wonderful. I finally know what it feels like to be cared for. You also let me care for you. I can say this and _know_ in my heart it's right. I love you, Chris Jericho, with all that I am." His voice carried a bit of timidity, unsure of Chris' reaction.

Chris smiled brightly, his teeth were like white diamonds. "Oh Evvy, I love you too, so very much. You have brought so much to me. I was so... empty till you came into my life. You are the _best_ thing that has ever happened to me. I love you, Evan Bourne." He sealed his words with a passionate kiss. Their tongues tangled together as they sealed their love.

Neither Chris nor Evan were sure of much in their lives, but, on a park bench in Ireland, one thing _became_ sure, their deep love for one another and it was a wonderful feeling.

The next day was filled with relaxing fun. Adam, Mark, Chris and Evan went pony trekking. Wade and Shawn went fishing. Roman and Hunter played golf. Dean and Seth went back to Tullamore to tour the famous whiskey factory. Dean wanted to have a selection of premium whiskey at The Lunatic Fringe. So, Ireland was the perfect place to learn what were the best brands to stock in the bar. Jason and Heath stayed at the hotel and got up to some fun in the bedroom.

Everyone that had gone out, returned to the hotel in time to shower and freshen up before their dinner with Sheamus. Some even had time to take a nap.

At eight o'clock, the College Hill Ghost Hunters and Sheamus were enjoying a delicious dinner in a small private room in the hotel restaurant. They wanted to be able to talk openly and since the subject was paranormal, a private room was best.

"Leap has quite a bloody history as you probably know. There are two spirits you _will_ encounter, the monk and the elemental. The others may or may not appear." Sheamus explained with a bite of his corned beef and cabbage.

"You are that sure of a spirit appearance?" Roman asked with a slight sceptical tone. He didn't think a spirit could be that predictable.

Sheamus saw the look and heard the tone in Roman's voice. He appreciated a healthy dose of scepticism from a professional. However, he gave a bit of a laugh. "I'll tell ya, fella, you _will_ meet those two spirits. It's as sure as my grandmother serving potatoes on Sunday." He gave Roman a big wink.

Adam laughed. "We've just never had that strong of a guarantee of seeing spirits. So Sheamus, how worried do I have to be about being jumped?" The conversation turned serious.

Sheamus' face lost all its mirth. He took on an extremely serious expression. If possible, his already pale skin was even paler. "You... are easily jumped?" His voice was flat. His eyes appeared to be filled with sorrow.

Everyone noticed the look on the Irishman's face. Adam put down his forkful of food. "I wouldn't say I'm _easily_ jumped, but it's happened a few times. Last time was in February. That was the first time in a couple of years." The medium explained to the Irish Demonologist.

Sheamus' face showed a bit of relief. "Well, that's good. I thought maybe you were a portal medium. I know Chris is your historian, and I'm sure he's filled you in..." he was halted by Chris.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I haven't given my report yet. Adam wanted to wait to hear from you, and I agree. Your knowledge is first hand, I can't top that. I'm a Doctor of History, not ego." Chris said with a jovial tone. He gave Sheamus a wink.

Everyone gave a laugh. Seth spoke up. "Shea, honestly, how dangerous is Leap? None of us want Adam hurt. We _need_ to know what we're up against." He knew his friend would try to make it seem not so bad, but he wanted Sheamus to be honest. He gave his friend a serious glare.

Sheamus shook his head. "Seth, no worries fella, I don't mess with Leap. Alright. First, the monk. Leap was built in twelve fifty by the O'Bannon Clan. Evidence over the years has shown Leap was built on the site of an ancient stone structure, probably a ceremonial spot. It has been an area occupied since the Iron Age. By fifteen thirty two, the castle had been taken over by the O'Carroll Clan. At one point, a very bitter feud broke out between brothers." Sheamus paused to sip from the cup of fresh tea the waitress had brought.

Everyone ordered fresh berries, clotted cream and scones for dessert. Sheamus waited until the waitress had served their dessert. He took a bite, then after another sip of tea, continued.

"Now, one of the brothers was a Priest. One day he was holding a mass in the chapel. While he was in mid prayer his brother burst in and ran his sword right through the heart of his priestly brother. The priest fell across the alter and died. The place became known as the Bloody Chapel. Ever since, the monks spirit has been seen. He's been seen nearly everywhere in the castle, but he's mostly seen in the Bloody Chapel. He's a puzzle. Most times he just appears and says nothing and he's totally benign. Sometimes, but not often, he works in harmony with the elemental. We think he does that when something happens to the Castle. I would suggest seeking him out first because he will mostly help protect _against_ the elemental." Sheamus finished with another sip of tea and bite of dessert.

Chris nodded. "Glad to know my research was right. That's exactly the history I discovered. However it's like I said, nothing about how the monk appears is listed. I'm glad you are with us." He scanned his small notebook as he spoke.

"So, I need to try to get the monk on our side. My grandmother, my spirit guide should be able..." Adam halted his words when he saw Sheamus frown with a shake of his head.

"I... wouldn't advise the use of a spirit guide, Adam. I'm sure your grandmother is wonderful and helpful to you, however, the spirits of Leap, good and evil, do like other spirits to enter their... home. My advice is to ask her not to come forward. I know she probably gives you some protection, but it _won't_ help you at Leap. My _best_ advice would be for both Wade and Shawn to do protection, _before_ you get to Leap. I don't know how well a Wizard and Pastor get along professionally, but you both need to work together to protect not only Adam, but anyone who plans on entering Leap. I also suggest, anyone, who... all of you... please, for the love of Saint Patrick, do _not_ go down into the oubliette without massive protection." Sheamus made direct eye contact with each of the College Hill Ghost Hunters. It was a look of absolute warning.

Dean's brow arched. "What the fuck is an om...bul...et?" He looked first at Sheamus, then to Roman. He trusted Roman knew what Sheamus meant.

Roman looked at Dean. "An oubliette is a type of dungeon. It means forgotten place. It only has an opening, no windows, no light. Some had spikes coming up out of the floor. The victim would be thrown in and left. The best they could hope for would be to die instantly. The unfortunate would slowly die of either their wounds or starvation. An oubliette is a horrible thing." His voice seemed to shudder as he explained the word to Dean and the others.

Sheamus nodded. "Absolutely right. The oubliette at Leap had the spikes in the floor. The Leap oubliette wasn't discovered until nineteen hundred when workmen uncovered it. It's just off the Bloody Chapel. They found skeletons piled up on top of each other. It took three cart loads to haul out all the bones. Among the bones, they found a pocket watch from eighteen forty. Don't know if it was from a victim or a previous owner or workman. Sean will let you go down, but you do so at your _own_ risk. Mark, that might be a place for you to investigate." The Irishman spoke in his most serious tone yet.

Mark almost looked like a giddy child on Christmas morning. "Would love to!" He replied with a rub of his hands.

Sheamus understood from a Demonologist's point of view, but this was no ordinary place. "I understand, fella. Be protected; that's all I'm sayin'"

Evan spoke up, his voice slightly shaky. "Now, will the spirits affect an empath?" He was nervous to hear the reply.

Sheamus looked at the youngest of the paranormal investigators, Seth had told him about Evan. "If you haven't learned to keep your mind locked... stay _out_ of Leap. I don't want to sound harsh, but Evan, me lad, this is no place for an untrained medium; of any kind." His eyes levelled at Evan. He spoke in a serious tone, but still gave Evan a smile.

Evan suddenly squared himself. "I can do it. I'm sure. I won't abandon Adam alone in that place." He crossed his arms over his chest and gave a defiant nod to the others.

Chris couldn't help but beam proudly as did Adam. "I appreciate that, Squirt. I want you to be really sure. You practice the hell out of keeping your locks shut tight. I won't tell you not to enter the Castle. You are an adult and I trust you to make the right decision on Saturday." Adam responded honestly and looked hard at Evan.

"Thank you, Adam. I promise, I won't be stupid and I _will_ practice. Sheamus, tell us about this elemental, I've never heard of such a spirit." Evan redirected the conversation back to the matter at hand.

"An elemental is a nature spirit that is usually summoned. It is also a possibility that the discovery of the oubliette caused a psychic disturbance that brought forth the elemental. The Darby family had taken possession of the Castle in sixteen fifty nine. It stood abandoned for seventy years. During that time, locals often reported lights that looked like candlelight, moving from room to room on the upper floors. They stayed well clear of the Castle, especially at night..." Sheamus paused to again sip his tea. Story telling was thirsty work.

The College Hill Ghost Hunters listened raptly. The only sounds were the occasional flicks of a lighter as a cigar or cigarette was lit, or the "clink" of a tea cup being placed in a saucer. Sheamus lit his pipe, he puffed it into life with a halo of smoke, then continued.

"In the nineteen hundreds, the Darby family reclaimed their property. Johnathan and Mildred Darby wanted to raise their children in the Castle. The Occult became popular in high society and Mildred dabbled with it." Sheamus paused once more as the waitress brought two fresh pots of tea.

Evan. Adam, Heath and Shawn hurried to the men's room for a bathroom break. Soon everyone was settled and quiet to let Sheamus continue.

"In nineteen hundred o nine, Mildred wrote an article for The Journal Occult Review. In the article, she told about her encounter with a strange creature. She described it as an inhuman, shadowy figure. The creature had half decomposed eyes and a horrible stench. This was the first report of the elemental spirit." Sheamus took another puff of his pipe and let his words sink in.

"But what the fuck _is_ an elemental spirit, exactly?" Dean asked the Irishman. He was totally immersed in the story.

Sheamus exhaled a puff of smoke. It floated into the air in a perfect circle. He spoke once again. "An elemental is an ancient, primitive spirit. They are malevolent and unpredictable. After Mildred's experiments in the black arts, Leap has never been the same. The Darby's stayed until nineteen hundred twenty two. After that, the Castle fell victim to the Irish Revolution. At least seventy bombs and looters left the Castle nothing but a burnt out shell." His voice became sad as he thought of Leap's brutal history, then being left to fall into near ruination.

"What happened next?" Heath asked, like a wide eyed child listening to a well loved bedtime story.

Sheamus repacked his pipe from his leather tobacco pouch. He continued the story as he worked his pipe. "In the nineteen seventies, an Australian bought the Castle. He brought in a White Witch. She spent many, many hours in the Bloody Chapel. When she finished, she said the spirits were no longer malevolent, but wanted to stay. Then in nineteen ninety, Sean Ryan bought the Castle and slowly began to restore it. He did most of the interior work himself. After an accident with a ladder, which broke his knee, Sean struck a deal with the spirits, and is _very_ protective of keeping his word with the spirits. That's why your access is rare, but, he trusts me and I trust you. Remember, no matter what happens, you can _not_ ask the spirits to leave." Sheamus finally finished telling the basic story of Leap Castle.

Everyone was surprised when the waitress came back and said they were waiting to close the restaurant. It was nearly one o'clock in the morning. Hunter gave the waitress their apologies by giving her a hefty tip. She thanked him and assured him it was alright. The entire group of ghost hunters walked Sheamus out to his car.

"Well, that was most interesting. At least now we have some of idea of what we are up against. I'm glad you're going to be there with us. Oh, do we need to bring sleeping bags?" Adam asked Sheamus as they walked across the car park.

"No, we'll be staying in one of the two guest rooms that Sean occasionally rents out. He has plenty of cots and blankets. Quarters will be close, but it's only for one night. Doubt if we will be getting much sleep anyways. We'll be alone too. After you meet Sean, he, his wife and daughter will leave. They don't like to be around when investigators are there. He thinks his presence hinders the spirit activity. It's like they behave when he is around. It's true. Anytime he's there with our group, we hardly get any evidence. Well, fellas, get some sleep. I'll be back at five tomorrow afternoon. Have a good one. Roman, Hunter, thanks for the dinner." He shook hands with all twelve men, then left.

As they walked back to the hotel, the group talked about tomorrow and what they had learned at dinner. They were both excited and apprehensive. Dean, Seth, Wade and Mark said goodnight to the others, who went upstairs to their suites. When they got upstairs, Hunter opened the door that joined their room to the other. Adam and Evan spoke.

"You be sure you're ready. You work on your locks. You'll be fine, Squirt. Sleep well." Adam gave Evan a warm hug. The four couples bid each other goodnight. Roman closed the adjoining door.

Adam hugged Heath and Jason then went to take a hot shower. Roman did a little work for his fall semester classes on his lap top for a while.

In the other suite, Chris and Evan were curled up in bed. They had declared their love, but they still waited to have their first sex. They wanted it to be special and right.

"You keep your mind locked, baby. You will be fine. I'll be right beside you. I love you, baby boy." Chris gave Evan a gentle kiss.

Evan curled up tighter against Chris. He was wrapped safely in Chris' strong arms. "I will. I know I'll be fine with you next to me. I love you." Evan returned Chris' kiss.

Roman now held a sweet smelling Adam in his arms. Adam was in the safest place in the world. "I love you, Islander. You stay with me tomorrow. I hope grandmother will understand." Adam laid his head on Roman's chest. His fingers ran over Roman's tattooed right arm.

"I love you, Viking. You know I will. I can't wait to see what the FLIR picks up. I'm sure grandmother will understand. Just make sure you have a talk with her. She's always ready to do what you want. We'd better get some sleep. Don't know how much we'll get over the weekend." Roman spoke softly and kissed Adam's lips.

Adam gave a sleepy nod. "I will. I'm sure she'll be alright. Goodnight my love." Adam said in a sleepy voice. His eyelids fluttered shut.

"Goodnight, my love." Roman muttered as he too closed his eyes.

Six couples fell into a deep sleep, safe in the arms of the ones they loved.

What awaited them at Leap Castle they couldn't know. Would it be a normal investigation or did terrible horrors await. Only the spirits of Leap knew, and they weren't telling... yet.


	18. On the Road to Leap

Saturday in Roscrea, County Offlay, in the Republic of Ireland dawned to a thick, heavy fog. It was like an envelope around the town. The locals gossiped at breakfast that they had never seen a fog so thick. Some thought it was a foreboding omen.

None of the members of the College Hill Ghost Hunters saw the morning fog; they all slept in. It didn't matter. When the CHGH gathered for lunch in the same private dining room, the fog was still there, _and_ it was even thicker.

After they placed their order for brunch, Mark noticed that Wade looked rather apprehensive. "Wade, what's wrong?" Mark asked in a low, direct voice.

Mark looked at his future husband. Wade's eyes were open wider than usual, and a thin sheen of sweat had broken out over his brow. Mark wasn't positive, but he thought Wade trembled slightly.

"I'm alright. I just want to make sure I get all the supplies from my Uncle packed. I'm glad Sheamus brought it yesterday. Uncle sent some strong, portentous things. I really hope we have time to go to Avebury." Wade hoped he got away with throwing Mark off.

Mark shook his head. He levelled his eyes at Wade. His gaze was even more intense as he'd already applied the black eyeliner he wore during investigations. It was just something he did. "Wade Alexander." Was all he said.

Wade sighed. He knew his beloved saw right through him. "It's... the fog... it... was... foggy... in the... corn field." He never allowed himself to cry about it anymore, but some things triggered horrible memories of the rape, and fog was one of those things.

Neither Wade nor Mark had noticed that the conversation around the table had gone silent. Everyone felt bad for Wade, and wished they could help.

Mark took Wade's left hand in his. "It will be alright, darlin'. I'm with you. I'll never let you be alone again; ever." Mark brought Wade's hand to his lips and kissed it. Everyone was surprised that Mark was getting more and more open with his displays of affection. They liked to see it.

"Wade, we're all with you. Anything we can do to help?" Shawn asked in a kind voice. He put a gentle hand on Wade's shoulder as he sat next to him.

Wade smiled. Instead of feeling humiliated or embarrassed he felt touched, loved and cared for. He wouldn't trade the eleven men around the table for anything. Yes, he included Evan, even though he was new to the group, the little Squirt had wormed his way into all their hearts.

"I... love you guys... all of you. I'll be alright. Now, let's focus on the matter at hand." Wade paused. He spoke with love in his heart to the group. Wade then turned to Shawn and spoke frankly and seriously. "You do your prayer first, then I will do mine. My Uncle sent some special sage, grown on the Avebury Plain. We have to work together on this one. It's up to you and I to protect everyone. We have an awesome responsibility. Can you accept my protection?" Wade asked the Preacher.

Shawn nodded to the Wizard. "Of course I can, Wade. We've done it before. I agree. This is probably the most dangerous place we've ever investigated. You know, I've never asked, what does sage burning actually do?" He asked with a raised brow. Shawn felt it was time to actually learn what Wade's wizardry was all about.

Wade grinned. He'd waited for this day, for Shawn to finally ask questions about his wizardry. "Sage has been used from ancient Druid times, as well as Native American. Sage cleanses and heals. It can also give wisdom, clarity and can increase spiritual awareness. All these things work together to protect your soul. White sage is the best. The white sage my Uncle sent, comes from plants my ancient Druid ancestors planted, over a thousand years ago. Can you imagine? I hope I can get permission to take a cutting home." He grinned, he was now proud of his ancient heritage.

"That's amazing. So the plant could have been on earth during the time of Christ. Thank you. Now that I understand it more, I can accept it. I should have asked you a long time ago. I'm sorry, Wade. I'd like to learn more, so I don't remain ignorant of the gifts you have been given, to help battle evil." Shawn was humbled, he knew he'd been wrong to Wade.

"I would like that Shawn. Now, this is my suggestion. You do your most protective prayer before we leave. About a mile from the Castle, we'll stop and I'll do my protection. I also want everyone to carry one of these..." he paused, opened his bag and pulled out a leather pouch, about the size of a silver dollar. He then went on to explain.

"My Uncle personally made and blessed thirteen of these bags. They contain some ancient sage and black salt. Which is protection in its purest form. Just keep it in your pocket please." Wade kept pulling small pouches out of his bag and handed one to each member of the College Hill Ghost Hunters. There was one left, to give to Sheamus later.

Evan clutched his bag like it was a long, lost childhood toy. "Thank you, Wade. I really hope we can meet your Uncle." He gave the Wizard a smile.

"So do I. I can't imagine we'll need to be here the whole month. Thank you, Wade. I'm sure these will help. It was kind of your Uncle to make them for us. So, this is the plan..." Adam put his pouch in the pocket of his blue flannel shirt. The groups leader then took a small notebook from his pocket and began to read.

"We'll all take the tour. Seth, you will make note of where static cameras need to be set up, then we will _all_ help run cables. Shawn and Heath will help Seth in the command van first. Hunter, Chris and Evan will be a team. Dean, Wade and Mark will be the next team. Jaybird, you'll be with Islander and I. Mark, you sure you want to go down in the oubliette?" Adam looked with wide eyed curiosity at the Demonologist.

"Um, you forgot to put Sheamus on a team." Seth said with a confused look on his face.

Adam smiled and gave Seth a pat on the shoulder. "No, I didn't, fella." He did a very poor imitation of Sheamus, then continued. "He can chose which team he wants. He knows the place better. Remember the golden rule, especially at Leap. No one goes off alone. Mark, if you do chose to go down into the dungeon, make damn sure your teammates are at the opening. I also want you to take a FLIR. I'm sure Sheamus will have one we can use. We've got to get a second FLIR." Adam said with a sigh. He knew best FLIR cameras cost around eight thousand dollars.

Seth too, sighed. "Yeah, I know. I thought Mick would get us a better deal. I'll try again. I'm not settling for cheap, we need the best. Sorry I couldn't work a deal before the trip." He explained in a disappointed tone.

"Don't sweat it, Seth. Not your fault. I agree though, we need the best. I know this trip blew our account, but, we'll save up again. Okay. We'd better eat up, time is slipping." Adam instructed his group. The nervous excitement was building.

The paranormal investigators somehow managed to eat a huge Irish breakfast. Eggs, sausage, bacon, baked beans, hot buttered toast and tea filled their bellies.

When they finished, they went to their suites to pack their backpacks for an overnight trip. Seth and Hunter made sure their equipment totes were in order. Wade also made sure he had everything his Uncle had sent.

Mark and Wade would slip into their robes when the stopped to do Wade's spell of protection. It caused too many curious looks if they wore them and walked through a hotel lobby. Especially Mark, in his black robe and heavily lined eyes. Wade was little less intimidating in white, but he too wore heavy eyeliner.

At four-thirty in the afternoon, everyone gathered in the downstairs suite. Mark began to oversee the loading of the two borrowed vehicles. Seth had phone Sheamus and the Irishman said that he did indeed have a FLIR and would bring it when he came.

As they were loading, Sheamus pulled into the parking lot on his motorcycle. He pulled off his helmet and greeted everyone with a "Hey fellas." He chipped right in and helped with the equipment. He also showed Seth around command van. It was just like the one back in Iowa, except for one things, it was set up in reverse, just like left side driving.

Shawn took a look at the mobile command van. "Oh wow. You guys really did work together on this idea. It's exactly the same." Shawn admired the van. He was behind he equipment most of the time, so he spoke with an experts opinion.

Sheamus laughed. "Yea fella, we did. It's mostly Seth's design. You guys are lucky to have him. Seth knows more about computers than anyone. That teddy bear is grandma's potatoes!"" He held up the bear as it sat in an open tote.

"Your grandma must really love potatoes." Shawn joked with the Irishman as they finished unloading the totes and packing the equipment into place in the van. Sheamus explained that his grandparents had a huge potato farm and his grandma knew thousands of ways to cook or use potatoes.

At five-thirty, the loading was finished. Shawn called everyone together in a private corner of the car park. The fog of earlier had long since dissipated and the afternoon sun was low in the sky. Even though it was summer, the sun sank behind the green hills of the countryside.

Shawn directed everyone to hold hands in a tight circle. He began his prayer of protection by reciting the plea to Saint Michael, the Archangel. Next he prayed that they would be protected from whatever evil they might come up against. He prayed for Adam especially to be protected as he reached out to communicate with spirits good or evil. Shawn also added a strong prayer to keep Evan's empathic door tightly locked. They ended by reciting the Lord's prayer. Even Wade and Mark repeated the prayer.

"... forever and ever, Amen." The thirteen men ended in a resounding chorus. They remained in their hand locked circle for few more minutes as each man gave their own private and silent prayer.

Shawn removed his clerical alb and kissed it before refolding it and placing it back in his pack. Sheamus spoke. "Just follow me. I'll stop at a place I know of so you can do _your_ protection. He started to walk to his motorcycle, but Wade stopped him.

"Sheamus, take this, please..." He went on to explain about the small leather pouch he had pulled out of his pocket to give to Sheamus.

Sheamus grinned brightly. "Thank you, fella. I'm honored you included me. I always carry sage and salt but nothing this strong. We _will_ need it." He took the pouch and slipped it into one of his jeans pockets. He was truly touched to have been given such a powerful gift.

Everyone piled into the borrowed transportation. Wade and Mark got into the driver's seats of the two black vehicles. They followed Sheamus down the beautiful country road. The scenery was breathtaking, the grass truly gave the land an emerald green like glow.

Soon Sheamus pointed to a dirt road to the left. The two ghost hunting vehicles followed. There, just off the road was as small picnic area rest stop. There was a picnic table and a rock ring for a fire, that was very well used.

Mark and Wade were at the back of the mobile command van and put on their robes. While they did that, Sheamus collected wood for the fire. When the Irishman started to put a match to the wood, Evan stopped him.

"You won't need that. Just watch and wait." Evan gave Sheamus a wink. The pale skinned man wrinkled his brow in confusion, but he stood back.

Wade was pleased. "Guess you knew I'd need a fire. Everyone, please, gather round the fire pit. But, I want you to stand back about two feet." The Wizard turned serious as he gave his instructions.

While Wade prepared his sage and black salt, Mark went behind everyone and made a circle of white salt. The men remained still as not to break the circle. Mark's black hood was up, and his face was deeply hidden in the folds of soft, black material.

Wade pulled up his white hood, and also pulled up his sleeves. Sheamus watched with curiosity as Wade began to rub his hands together. First a few almost invisible sparks formed, then smoke, more sparks, then suddenly, a flame appeared in Wade's left hand. He bent down and lit the fire. Sheamus was stunned, deep inside he knew this was _no_ magician's trick.

Wade lit a large bundle of the ancient ancestral sage. He allowed the fire in his hand to go out as the bundle began to smoke. Wade held the bundle of the smouldering herb and went around the circle. He enveloped each member of the team in the acrid smoke. Mark chanted his ancient Latin prayer in a more commanding than usual voice. Sheamus knew the prayer well and mentally chanted along with his fellow Demonologist.

Wade enveloped his fellow paranormal investigators twice, then went behind them and made a thick circle of black salt on top of the white salt. He then chanted a prayer in ancient Druid, it had come from his Uncle. It took a bit for Wade to remember the ancient pronunciations, but he'd practiced in his hotel suite until the words flowed easily.

The prayer of protection ended with a final wave of the sage around the salt circle. Wade threw the final bits of sage into the fire and added a handful each of black and white salt. The sky was growing darker as the sun went behind the emerald green hills of the Irish countryside.

"Don't move yet. I have to make an opening in the circle." Mark spoke firmly as Dean raised a foot to step out of the circle. Dean stopped before he breached the ring of salt.

Mark used a bundle of unlit sage to brush away enough salt for the group to leave, one at a time. Wade pulled a handful of powdery substance from another pouch. He threw the substance in the fire. The fire immediately died down and went out, like a gust of wind had taken its life. All that remained of the fire was a last, long curl of smoke.

As the group stood around, Sheamus suddenly spun on his heels, and looked into the nearby woods. "Did you hear that?" He asked as he kept looking at the line of trees.

Before anyone could respond, they all heard what sounded like the screaming voice of a woman, it seemed to say, " _Leave this place!_ " in a wailing cry.

"Banshee" Sheamus barley whispered as they heard another bone chilling wail.

Seth whipped a camera out of the back of the command van. He just happened to be there to help Mark and Wade pack away their robes. He pointed the camera towards the woods. They heard another wail, but it seemed to be much further away

"Well, we're alright, nobody saw her... did they?" Sheamus asked with a wide, wild eyed look to the others.

"No, we didn't see her washing any clothes. We didn't see her at all. But she asked us to leave, and we should heed her." Adam spoke in a rather harried tone.

"Adam is right." Sheamus spoke to the group, then turned towards the woods. "Yes, we'll leave, right now." Sheamus called out as he spoke to the Banshee. He put on his helmet and went to his motorcycle. Sheamus fired up his bike. The others quickly loaded up and followed Sheamus away from the road side rest stop.

In the van, Evan looked at Adam. "I thought I knew what a Banshee was. The washing clothes is what I don't get."

Adam smiled. "Most think the crying and wailing is all the Banshee does, but that's not the entire legend. If you see her, and she is washing blood stained clothes, then you have a problem. If the clothes are yours, you'll die before morning. I agreed with Sheamus, because the Irish fear the Banshee above all. Did you see how frightened he got?" He looked at Evan with intensely.

"I did notice. I also didn't know about the clothes washing. I'm glad we didn't see her." Evan sat back and enjoyed the countryside as they sped towards Leap Castle.

Adam too looked out of the window. He'd lied to Evan. He hadn't wanted to leave to please Sheamus, he wanted to leave when he saw the Banshee in the trees. She was washing a blood stained blue flannel shirt, like the one he was wearing. He hoped Wade and Mark's protection would work against the vision of the Banshee.

The vehicles arrived at the gate to Leap Castle. They passed the abandoned gatehouse and drove on. The gate looked like a draw bridge entrance. The stonework was beautiful, but slightly imposing. Sheamus continued up the road to the castle its self.

The road was lined on both sides with defensive walls. The walls were crumbling in places, but still enough remained to remind passersby that this was once a mighty stronghold.

Suddenly they were stopping at the front of Leap Castle. While not as huge as castles in England or Scotland, Leap was built to be strong. The style was known as a tower house. Later additions moved it up to a fortified house.

The boxlike tower loomed over them as the paranormal investigators disembarked from their vehicles. The tower was flanked by two wings. The one on the left had obviously been restored, as cheerful curtains hung in the windows. The wing to the right was in the process of being restored. If you looked through the uncovered windows, you could see ladders and scaffolding in the room.

While the castle was foreboding, Leap had a feeling of welcome. Before he slid out of his seat, Evan closed his eyes so tightly his entire face scrunched up. " _Stay locked, stay locked, please stay locked._ " His fists were curled so firmly, his knuckles turned white.

"Evvy? Baby?" Chris gently tried to get his boys attention, but Evan was... gone. He tried once more. "Evan... Evan Matthew Bourne!" Chris finally gave Evan a soft nudge as he sharply called out to his boyfriend.

Evan shook himself with a start. He'd been concentrating so hard. His hands tingled like sparks of electricity had been shot into them as he unclenched his fists. His eyes fluttered open and he saw Chris standing outside the van. Evan noticed Chris' eyes were filled with apprehension. He gave his man a smile.

"Sorry, Chrissy. I was making damn sure my door was locked. I don't want anything to spoil this. I'm ready now." Evan gave a nod of confidence that reflected his tone.

Chris held out his hand for Evan to take. "Well, as hard as you were concentrating, you door should be welded shut. I want you to promise me, if you feel yourself slipping, you'll tell me. We'll leave and no one will think badly of you. As a matter of fact, Adam will appreciate it. It would be worse if your empathy kicked in." Chris was firm as Evan got out of the van. They walked over to where the others were waiting.

Roman spoke to Adam. "... so she was alright with it?" He'd been asking Adam bout his spirit guide grandmother.

Evan listened intently as Adam replied. "She was not happy about leaving me alone, but she agreed to stay away. She has gone to be with ma and mom Carol. She's tuned out for twenty-four hours. I always feel so... vulnerable. Please, don't leave me alone, Roman, please?" Adam looked at his husband with nervous filled hazel eyes. The thought of the Banshee was still on his mind.

Roman stroked back a few strands of blond hair that had fallen from Adam's low pony tail. He was used to Adam being nervous before a major investigation, but this was different. "I know it makes you nervous to be without grandma, but you'll never be without me; ever. Jason will be with us too. The reminds me, Sheamus, who do you want to investigate with?" Roman held Adam's hand as he spoke.

Sheamus looked at Doctor Reigns. "I'll alternate between you and Mark. I'd like to be there if he goes down into the oubliette. Is that alright?" He asked as he put two extra batteries for his equipment into his backpack from the box of batteries Seth had laid out.

Roman nodded. "That's fine with us. You know to time tag right? Or anytime you make a noise." He looked at Sheamus with a raised brow.

The Irishman nodded. "Yes, fella, I'll even try to remember to stamp any sound I make. But, as my team will tell you, I do tend to get kinda forgetful." He replied with a laugh.

Roman chuckled. "Just do your best, we won't fire you. Seth might make you analyze your data though. Well, let's get going, shall we?" He still held Adam's hand as they walked toward the front door of Leap Castle.

Adam worked his hand loose. "Go ahead, Roman. I want to remind Sheamus of something." He looked at the Irishman with a knowing glance.

Roman was about to question Adam, but he was called back to the command van by Seth. Adam waited until Roman was out of ear shot, then he addressed Sheamus, or at least he started to, but Sheamus spoke first.

"You saw her didn't you?" Sheamus' face was like stone. None of his usual mirth gleamed in his eyes. Instead, deep concern glittered in them.

Adam nodded slowly. "She was washing a blue flannel shirt; like this..." Adam pulled at the shirt he wore, then continued. "I haven't told Roman or anyone else. Will Wade's protection work?" His tone was calm but his eyes betrayed his anxiousness.

Sheamus bit his lip. "I would think so, Adam. I mean it _is_ only a legend. You know, maybe the elemental was aware of your coming, and did that to try to frighten you away. They _can_ shape shift." He spoke thoughtfully and tried to think logically. He was after all a college graduate and a Demonologist.

Adam appeared to tremble with relief. "I never thought of that. Of course, that's what happened. It would know how to frighten a person like that. Thanks, Sheamus. Well, ready to introduce us to the owner?" His voice was back to normal as the nervousness left his body.

Sheamus smiled and gave Adam a pat on the back. "Yeah, fella. Sean will be waiting. He's still got to get his family to a hotel." Sheamus led Adam to the front door of Leap Castle. He prayed he hadn't just lied to his new friend, and it really _was_ the elemental playing a trick.

The ancient door of the castle opened smoothly on its hinges. A rather jovial looking Irishman with huge lamb chop style side burns stepped into view.

"Welcome to Leap, my name is Sean, please, do come in." He was jolly and friendly and his eyes had a laughing gleam. He hardly looked like a man who lived with such horrible spirits.

Sheamus led everyone up the stairs and introductions were made all around. Mister Ryan shook hands and welcomed every man like a long, lost friend, it was the Irish way.

"I'm going to let Sheamus give you the tour, my daughter is hungry and we need to get moving. I trust Sheamus, so I trust you. Make yourselves at home, the guest room is ready. My wife said to be sure to tell you to make yourselves at home in the kitchen as well. She also said don't forget to eat. There's plenty of good Irish beef in the freezer. I put some steaks out, but you can have something else if you'd rather..." He paused, and turned serious. "You know, do not ask any spirit to leave or go to the light. Also, if they tell you to leave an area, please leave it, at least for a while. The place is yours till six o'clock tomorrow night. A news crew is coming, so you'll have to be finished by then. Any questions?" The Castle owner asked with a smile.

"Thank you so much for this honor, Sir. We will be very careful, I promise. I even asked my spirit guide to stay away. I do have one question. My husband, Roman, is a Doctor of Parapsychology and teaches at Northern Iowa University. We'd like your permission to show the data we collect here to his doctoral students in their laboratory class?" Adam asked the Castle's owner. He wanted to ask now, in case they didn't see Sean again.

Sean gave a wave of his hand. "Of course, by all means. If Leap's spirits can help the students, that would be great. I'm pleased to know a University makes the paranormal a serious area of study. Well, I hope the spirits talk to you and _please_ , be careful of the elemental. It can be quite... playful. Sheamus me lad, here are the keys. See you tomorrow night. Good Luck!" Sean shook hands with everyone again, then vanished into the Castle.

Over the next hour, Sheamus took them around the property. Seth marked several places to put static cameras, audio recorders, laser grids, motion sensors and the teddy bear. The bear would be placed on the bed in the nursery.

The group were in the nursery as Sheamus told the story of the room. "Not much is known about children dying in the castle, but it has been reported that the cradle rocks by its self, and so does the chair. So, now I'll show you our room for the night." Sheamus led them out of the nursery and to the more modernly restored private wing of the castle.

The guest room was nice. Six double sized cots and one single were arranged so that there were three cots along each wall with a bit of space between them. Each couple chose a cot and put their backpacks under it. Sheamus took the single cot under the window.

"Well, we'd better get the cameras and other equipment up and running. You know, lets set up the command base in here. That way nobody has to be outside, and it would make running the cables a bit easier." Seth suggested as he looked around the room. There was enough room along the wall, under the window next to Sheamus' cot. There was also an Internet connection that would be perfect. It was still hard to fathom, ancient castle, modern computer hook up.

"Great idea, fella." Sheamus gave Seth a hardy slap on the back. He pushed his cot down to make more room for the portable table he had in the command van.

The group worked in teams to place all the cameras and equipment. They worked quickly and deliberately. They purposely kept from addressing anything paranormal. They wanted to wait for any encounters until they were officially investigating.

Seth, Heath and Shaw plugged in each cable as it was brought to them. Since they had opted to stay in the castle, the set up went much faster. Seth was glad Sheamus' group had miles of cable.

"Well, don't forget, Seth. We set up in a lot of huge places. It's not like in the States, fella." Sheamus said with a laugh as Seth remarked about how much cabling there was.

It only took an hour and thirty minutes to get everything ready. It was a testament to how well the team worked together, especially in a much larger area than usual.

Adam gathered his team together in the command base/guest room. "Good job everyone. It was a difficult set up, but the cameras are perfect. First, I want a light investigation, just calling out and doing EVP work. Do not provoke and Mark, don't go down in the oubliette. Let's meet back here in an hour, see if we have anything. We have plenty of time for once..." Adam was interrupted by Jason.

"Sorry, Ads, but everyone, look..." Jason pointed to a picture frame on the wall. The frame contained an old page that looked to be from a magazine.

Jason leaned in close and began to read the page aloud. _"I was standing in the Gallery, looking down at the main floor, when I felt somebody put a hand on my shoulder. The thing was about the size of a sheep, thin, gaunt, shadowy... its face was human, to be more accurate... inhuman. Its lust filled eyes, which seemed half decomposed in black cavities, stared into mine. The horrible smell, one hundred times intensified came into my face, giving me a deadly nausea. It was the smell of decomposing corpse..."_ He finished reading and looked at his fellow investigators. Anxiousness crossed his face. Jason reached over and pulled Heath closer.

Roman too, leaned in to look at the framed paper. "God, Bray would love this shit. Wish he could be here. Dean, snap some pictures of that, use both regular and IR settings. Keep in radio contact, but no unnecessary chatter. Like Adam said, be back here in an hour. Where do you want everyone to go first?" He looked at his husband with a smile. Adam was so sexy when he was in command of the group. Roman shook his head. Now was not sexy time... but around Adam it was hard _not_ to think about sex.

"Shawn, Heath and Seth, monitor the command base. Hunter, Chris and Evan, the nursery. Dean, Wade and Mark, the Bloody Chapel,but do go into the oubliette just yet. Roman, Jay and I will go to the Gallery. Sheamus, whose team do you want to follow?" Adam gave out the plan for the first hour of investigation.

Sheamus gave his bearded chin a thoughtful rub. "Hum.. I think I'll start with you, fella. Then go to the Chapel. You're doing it perfectly. The spirits here like to be treated respectfully. Oh a warning, if you _do_ smell something like rotting flesh, be damn careful and leave the area immediately. It's best to just walk away. We can confront the elemental as a group." He gave his last bit of advice.

"You heard the man. Everyone have their pouches from Wade's Uncle?" Adam paused while everyone double checked for their pouches. Everyone assured their leader they were protected. Adam continued. "Let's do ourselves proud. This is our most important investigation. Evan is your door locked?" He looked hard at the young man.

Evan nodded and tapped his temple. "Tight as a frogs ass." He gave a nervous laugh.

Adam picked up the young man's nervousness. "You will be fine. Just remember what Bray and I have taught you. If and I mean if you do well, and depending on the activity, we might and I do mean might, do some empathic work. Chris, stay with him at all times. If he shows any signs of coming undone, get him outside and call me, alright? Evan, be honest, no one will judge you." Adam gave the young man the warning one more time, then gave Evan's raven hair a tousle.

"I promise, boss. I won't put the group or this investigation in danger. I'm just anxious to get started, prove to myself that I can do it. I'll do what ever you say." Evan spoke with confidence.

"Don't worry, Adam. I'll keep him right next to me. No spirit is going to get Evan." Chris almost growled as he put his arm around Evan's waist.

Adam smiled at the couple. "Good. Alright, meet you back here in an hour. Good luck." Everyone hugged, then splintered off into their designated teams.

Seth, Heath and Shawn sat down at the command base. All three put on their head sets. Seth monitored the screens of the static cameras. Shawn watched the "live" feed of the cameras each team carried and Heath listened to the "live" audio of the recorders.

Hunter, Chris and Evan made their way to the nursery. It was slow going in the dark. They each had a small pocket mag light, but still the darkness was as thick as black velvet.

Mark led Wade and Dean up the precarious spiral staircase with ancient stone steps and wooden hand rails. Their flashlights were mere pinpricks as they climbed up and up.

Sheamus moved with ease as he led his team to the front of the castle and the Gallery. The Gallery was a small platform that was accessed by a small, narrow staircase. It overlooked a room with a dining table and fireplace with chairs in front of it. The walls were covered with mounted horns of various animals that had been hunted over the years to put meat on the dining table in the room.

The going was hardest for Roman, because he walked with the thermal imaging camera small monitor.

When they got to the top landing of the Gallery, Sheamus stopped. "This is where the elemental appears the most. We think it's probably where Lady Darby worked her dark magic. Do you feel anything, Adam?" Sheamus explained, then asked in a curious voice.

Both Sheamus and Adam moved their flashlights around in the darkness. The small, but intense beams would occasionally light up a set of well polished horns. There were so many, they were even up in the ceiling, attached to the thick oak beams.

"There sure are a lot of horns." Roman stated as he focused the FLIR camera on Adam.

Sheamus gave a light guffaw. "Every time an animal is hunted and killed, its horns are hung in this area. It's said it started as an offering to keep the spirits at peace and as a sign of respect to the animal that gave its life to put food on the table below." He explained to the couple.

Roman nodded, unseen in the darkness. "Funny, almost all cultures do something similar. Native Americans, Eskimos, Islanders..." His thoughts trailed off as he focused his camera better.

Adam stood as still as a stone. His right hand was on the carved oak railing that kept one from falling from the Gallery to the floor below.

Sheamus watched the tall blond with interest. He'd never seen psychometrics used in an investigation. No one in his group had the ability to use the psychic skill. He looked when Roman gave him a slight nudge.

Roman nodded to the small screen of the FLIR receiving unit, he held in his left hand. Sheamus looked with wide eyes. A vivid rainbow colored aura surrounded the hand Adam had on the rail. The camera lens picked up a growing heat from Adam's hand.

The twenty-four hour investigation of Leap Castle had begun.

 _ **A/N:** The framed page, from which Jason read, was taken from an article written by Lady Mildred Darby for the 1909 Journal Occult Review, and is on display at Leap Castle. Leap is a very real place, and you can find tons of pictures and information about it on line. Lady Dragonsblood. _


	19. The First Day at Leap

_A/N: I hope you dear readers won't mind, but I am going to start publishing two chapters per week. The one at the usual time on Saturday night/Sunday morning, then another one, most probably on Wednesday or Thursday. The story is going to start getting exciting, and I don't want you to have to wait a whole week, plus, I want to move the story along, I have others on deck waiting to be published! So, I hope you will enjoy the increased reading. If you don't like it, let me know, and I will gladly cut back to one chapter per week. My job is to make you readers happy. Have a great day! Lady Dragonsblood._

Because Sheamus had opted to go with Adam and Roman, Jason had decided to take a walk around the outside of the castle, just to make sure no one was around to play tricks on the group as they investigated. Because he was out of the actual castle, and an experienced police officer, this was the single exception to their rule of no one goes alone.

Shawn pointed to the screen in front of him. "Looks like things have started, Adam must be using psychometry. Picking up anything?" The Preacher whispered to Seth. He spoke softy as to not disturb Heath, who listened to the audio devices.

"Not yet. They are the only ones in place. It helped that Sheamus knows his way around the castle. It sure is dark out there." Seth whispered in reply. As he spoke he kept his eyes on the screen in front of him.

Sheamus and Roman watched as Adam concentrated. His hand grew white hot and the rainbow sharpened. The aura went up to Adam's elbow, then began to fade. Roman had never seen that before.

Adam also did something he didn't usually do, he began to call out loud to the spirits. Normally he communicated mentally through his grandmother, now, he didn't have her help. "Hello. Is anyone there? I'm asking any spirits, to come speak to me. I will be able to hear you. Do not be afraid, we have nothing but respect for you. I will listen to what ever you have to say." Adam spoke clearly. He paused to give the spirits a chance to reply.

Sheamus held out the digital audio recorder and waited. He stood still, and kept his eyes on the small video screen, mesmerized at how the heat emanated from Adam's hand. Why wasn't the wood of the railing burning? Why wasn't Adam screaming in pain from the white hot heat generated in his hand. The Irishman realized, Adam Reigns was no ordinary medium. He waited with a held in baited breath. What would the spirits make of someone like Adam?

Hunter, Chris and Evan made their way into the nursery. The room was small, but had a large, wide window that nearly went from floor to ceiling. There was a small, child sized bed, a chest of drawers, cradle and rocking chair in the room. A large, old rug covered most of the hard wood floor.

Hunter moved his flashlight over the room. Nothing moved or seemed out of place. Like all rooms in the castle, one wall housed a large, stonework fireplace. When his light shone on the stonework, something caught his eye. "Look at this, guys." Hunter stated as he walked over to the fireplace.

Both Evan and Chris leaned into look where Hunter pointed. Carved into the stone was a child's face. It looked to be a little boy.

"Chris, any idea who that could be?" Hunter asked the group's historian.

Chris leaned in further and looked closer. "I know the Darby children lived here, but there were no first names specifically mentioned. Too bad there isn't any clothing depicted, it would help date the carving. We'll come back up tomorrow during the daylight. Maybe we can determine the age better then." He flashed his light around the room as he spoke.

Evan suddenly got a thought. "Evan to Command Base." He spoke into his small radio.

"Command to Evan. What can we do for you, Squirt?" Seth's voice replied to the radio call.

"Command, please make a note. Hunter found a carving of a child in the stonework of the fireplace in the nursery. I think Adam needs to do psychometry, see if he picks up anything." Evan explained to Seth.

Seth's voice crackled in reply. "Good idea. Will do. Command out." He ended the conversation.

Chris smiled proudly at his boy. "That was as good idea, and I am glad you decided not to do the psychometry yourself. You're thinking like a paranormal invest... oh, look!" Chris flashed his light on the cradle, it was moving back and forth like it had been rocked.

Hunter quickly panned his team's camera and focused on the slightly moving cradle.

"Hey!" Evan barked and pointed to the rocking chair. It was moving fast, like someone had just risen from it. Hunter moved to capture both pieces of furniture as their momentum slowed naturally.

Chris held the audio recorder for his group. He began to use the device. "Hunter, Evan Chris, nursery, Leap Castle. Calling out after observing the cradle and rocking chair moving..." he paused for a brief moment after making the tag for the EVP session. He then continued to call out to the spirits.

"Calling out to any spirits who are in this room. Are you here?... Can you tell me your name?..." Chris asked his questions, but left enough time between them to hopefully pick up a response. Evan and Hunter kept their feet still to avoid any abstract sounds.

Hunter kept the camera focused on both the cradle and the nearby rocking chair.

Evan held a device that Seth had created. The device took the ambient temperature of the room, took EMF readings of the energy and detected motion. It was an extremely complex and sensitive piece of equipment. Seth had drilled Evan in the use of the device for over an hour yesterday. Evan now held the device with confidence as it recorded the information.

Chris was about to call out when all three men gave a start. The motion detector in the hallway gave shrill beeps as its beam was disturbed by something. Was it a spirit, or perhaps a mouse?

"Hunter to base. What's up, babe?" Hunter asked his husband in a gruff whisper, through his radio.

Shawn smiled, Hunter always forgot sometimes strangers listened to these recordings when he used terms of endearment. "We were just about to call you. Nothing warm blooded broke the beam and nothing has appeared on screen." Shawn informed the team.

"Did you see the cradle and rocking chair move? Anything visible on IR?" Hunter responded to his husband.

"We saw the movement, but nothing on IR or audio, yet..." Shawn's reply was interrupted when the motion detector in the teddy bear went off. Seth had placed the teddy bear on the bed in the nursery.

Hunter moved the camera and focused on the bear. As he filmed, the bears arms began to move. The Physician nudged Chris and nodded to the digital voice recorder. Evan pointed his device at the teddy bear.

Chris regained his wits and spoke. "Hello there. We know you are here. Can you tell us your name? Can you tell me how old you are?" Chris' voice was soft, like he would speak to a child. It made sense to him the spirit was a child.

Just as quickly as it began, the teddy bear went silent. It was if a switch had been clicked from on to off. All three investigators sighed. It was if they had been on the brink of the paranormal precipice, then just before going over the edge, the world came to a screeching halt. The room was deafeningly silent.

"Base?" Hunter called out to Shawn. It had gotten so still and silent, he wasn't sure what had happened.

"Base here. You alright?" Shawn's voice was full of concern. He wasn't sure of what had happened either.

"Um... what just happened? It's like... someone hit the off switch. You pick up anything." Hunter responded with a frown. He looked at both Chris and Evan. The two men shrugged.

Shawn gave a sigh. "No, we didn't. I agree, someone hit the paranormal off switch. Well, keep trying, you still have some time. We have a problem here, we've lost the camera and audio to the Bloody Chapel. You may need to go check, so be on stand by. I'll let you know." Shawn sounded a bit flustered and Hunter heard Seth cursing in the background.

Hunter looked at his team. "Well boys, lets try again. I hope Mark, Wade and Dean are alright." He snapped his radio back into its pouch on his belt. The three men resumed their investigation of the nursery.

Dean, Wade and Mark had reached the rooms at the top of the ancient spiral staircase. The floor of the room that was once the castle's chapel was covered with old, musty straw. The straw was deepest in the corners and thinned out to almost nothing in the center of the room. The stone walls were bare, there was nothing there to indicate what the room once was, a Holy place.

Wade and Mark lowered the hoods of their robes and looked around the room. Dean moved the flashlight around to get a better perspective of the dark space. The light landed on an area in the corner that looked like a closet with no door. Dean kept the light focused as Mark went to explore the recessed area.

"Wade, light." Mark asked in a low whisper. He always tried to remember that they were constantly being recorded.

Wade nodded and pulled a small, thick candle out of one of his many pouches. He held the candle in his right hand and snapped the fingers of his left hand until sparks lit the candle. For a small chunk of candle, the light was very bright and lit the entire room. Mark took the candle from Wade with slight smile.

The Demonologist shone the light in the recessed space. It contained the entrance to the horrible place of forgetfulness; the oubliette. A wooden ladder went down into the dark void. Mark held the candle down into the small, square opening.

As Mark bent down to look in the hole, he was hit with a sense of evil, so strong, it knocked him onto his ass. At the same time Mark hit the ground, all the preset equipment in the room malfunctioned.

It took a brief moment for both Wade and Dean to realize Mark had been knocked off his feet and was sitting on the floor of the recessed area. Wade swiftly moved to his fiancé with wide eyes and a grim frown.

Dean flashed his light towards the corner of the room. He held back and let Wade go to Mark. He frowned when he unhooked the radio from his belt to call Seth at the command base. His radio only emitted static. He also noticed the camera in his hand had gone blank, and the screen flashed, " _no battery_." Either the device had broken or the batteries had completely drained.

Dean also began to notice that all the preset equipment had also gone blank. No static camera, no motion detector, no laser grid to detect shadows. What the hell had happened.

Wade pulled his robe up enough to kneel down at Mark's side. "Babe? Are you... what the fuck happened?" He gently caressed Mark's face.

Mark's eyes blinked several times and he shook his head. His face was slightly pale, especially against his black robe. A light sheen of sweat glowed on his brow in the candle light.

Mark's eyes focused on Wade. He saw the wide eyed anxiousness on Wade's face. Wade also seemed to be holding his breath. Mark gave his future husband a slight smile.

"First of all, breathe..." Mark's voice was much shakier than he'd hoped it would be. The shudders of emotions from the dungeon still travelled up and down his spine,

Wade realized he'd been holding his breath, and let it out. He then began to breathe in a more normal manner, but still, his concern for Mark was evident.

When Mark saw that Wade was back in control, he spoke again. "I'm not sure what happened. It was like a wave of energy just... surged out of the oubliette. It was …. evil... pure evil. However, it wasn't necessarily directed _at_ me, but it sure _hit_ me." Mark brushed the sleeves of his robe. He still needed a moment to get enough wits to stand. He'd felt evil, many times in his life, but nothing so pure as what had knocked him down.

Dean approached the couple. He could tell that Mark was shaken, but alright. "All the equipment is dead, batteries are drained. Radio won't..."He was halted by the distant sound of a motion detector going off somewhere in the castle.

"Sounds like it's down by the nursery. I don't think we'd hear the one in the Gallery. You alright, buddy?" Dean looked at Mark as he spoke.

Mark told Dean what he'd told Wade. "... give me a few minutes, then we'd better head for base. Shawn will worry if he can't see or hear us."

Wade reached over and caressed Mark's face. He was extremely concerned, he'd never seen Mark hit so hard before. Mark took comfort in Wade's touches, and leaned into them.

Dean gave a smirk and backed away to let the couple have their moment of privacy. He walked over to the fixed static camera, and proceeded to replace the battery with one of the extras he carried in his pack.

"Well, fucking shit." Dean muttered under his breath as he realized even the replacement battery had been completely drained. That had _never_ happened before.

Mark had heard Dean's muttered curses and knew he had to get up. "Give us a hand, babe. You know my knees." He looked up at Wade with a curl to his lip. Mark had bad knees from all the years of working on the University transportation, crawling around on cement, under buses, changing tires or other things.

Wade stood and quickly brushed the hay dust from his robe with his candle free left hand, then extended the same hand to his fiancé. He hated that Mark's knees were slowly becoming arthritic, but it was what it was.

With a grunt, Mark stood. He had to lean against the wall for a moment in order to get his feet under him. He was still shaky from the hit of paranormal energy.

Wade tenderly brushed the dirt from Mark's black robe. "You alright now, love?" he asked in a soft whisper as his lips grazed Mark's ear.

"Will be. Let's go see what has Dean so upset." Mark gave Wade a wink and a sly smile. He was finally able to move. Mark and Wade crossed the room to where Dean fiddled with the static video camera.

Dean scoffed. "Fucking batteries are drained, even the replacements." He put both battery packs in his bag.

Mark pulled a spare battery from his pack and locked it into the video camera. He turned on the camera, or at least he tried. His battery was drained as well.

"Great, just fucking great. Biggest investigation we've ever done and the batteries drain." Dean was so frustrated, not for himself, but for Seth.. He knew how hard his lover worked to make everything perfect.

Before anything else could be said, Hunter, Chris and Evan appeared in the door way of the Bloody Chapel. They were breathless and their faces were identical with wide eyed concern for their fellow investigators.

"You three alright? Seth and Shawn sent us up. They said your equipment went out, and they couldn't contact you." Hunter asked as his eyes flicked from Dean to Wade and finally Mark. His physician's eyes knew immediately that Mark had been through something very unpleasant.

Mark nodded. "Our batteries drained, all of them, even the spares. I'll tell you the rest when we get downstairs. I don't want to have to repeat it fifty times. Well, no point in wasting more time in here until we get power. Chris, radio base and tell them we're on our way down. Hour's nearly up anyway," he sighed. Mark wasn't looking forward to retelling what had happened.

Chris' radio worked and the men at the command base were glad to know everyone was alright. Dean led the group back down the spiral staircase as Wade's oddly bright chunk of candle helped light the way.

Up in the Gallery, nothing seemed to be happening. Adam's attempt at psychometry netted nothing, which was not normal.

Adam opened his eyes and let go of the railing he'd been trying to read. "Nothing, absolutely nothing. It's not normal, I should at least be getting flashes of something. It's almost like... it's being deliberately hidden from me. I know something is here, I just..." he was cut off when they heard the extremely faint sound of a motion detector as it went off somewhere in the castle.

"Sounds like someone is having luck." Roman said with a bit of a wry laugh. He hoped to cheer Adam's mood. He could tell his beautiful husband was frustrated.

Adam looked at Sheamus. "Is this the elemental? Hiding things from me?" He asked with his brow raised. His lips pursed to the side as he chewed the inside of his mouth.

Sheamus nodded. "'fraid so, fella. It's playin' with us. The thing is, that could be good... or bad. Good, if it likes you and is just playing, bad if it's trying to cause problems and isn't playing. You won't know, until it decides to let you know. Ah, the joys of an Irish elemental." He gave a bit of a frustrated laugh.

Roman was about to suggest going back to the command center to regroup, when Adam flew into the air as if he'd been tackled in a football game. By the skin of his teeth, Sheamus was able to catch Adam before he landed on the Gallery floor. Roman's hands were full of camera equipment.

Sheamus' eyes were as wide as saucers and his breath came in fast pants like a dog. He held a passed out Adam in his arms like a delicate doll.

Roman was so shocked at what had happened, he stood frozen in place. He stared down at Adam and fought the panic that rose up in his spine. He shook himself and with trembling fingers, put the camera down as he knelt on the floor next to Adam.

Although they didn't know it at the time, Mark and Adam were both knocked off their feet within moments of each other.

No one at the command center saw what happened in the Gallery. A split second before Adam flew off his feet, just like in the Bloody Chapel, all the equipment went blank. Seth went into a raging panic. Shawn and Heath both had to work hard to calm Seth down.

Sheamus moved to let Roman take Adam into his care. Adam's head rested on Roman's thighs as the Islander knelt on the floor.

Roman gently stroked Adam's face. He felt that Adam's skin was cool and clammy, his breaths were shallow. Adam was out like a broken light bulb.

"What the fuck happened, Sheamus?" Roman growled in anger, but his eyes never left his husband.

"I honestly don't know. I've never, ever had an encounter with the elemental where I didn't smell it first. No one has. And, you _would_ smell it, trust me." Sheamus replied as he reached for his radio. He cursed when he found the battery had drained.

"We'd better get him out of here. I want Hunter to look at him..." Roman paused and once again tried to wake Adam. He was getting extremely anxious.

"I agree. My radio is out and I'm willing to bet everything is out. Batteries drain a lot; it's the surges of spirit energy. They use the power to..." he never finished as Roman stood with a grunt.

Adam was limp in Roman's arms as they carefully made their way back to the bedroom that also doubled as the command base.

When they got to the bottom of the staircase, Adam moaned softly. "Easy Viking, I've got you. Be still, we're going to the command base." Roman spoke softly to Adam. The last thing he needed was for Adam to start squirming in his arms.

Sheamus was highly concerned. He felt responsible. After all, he'd invited Seth and the others to come to Leap. Sheamus wondered if maybe the Banshee had been real after all.

Mark was explaining what had happened up the in the Bloody Chapel when Roman came into the room, carrying Adam, followed by Sheamus.

A chorus of "what happened?" echoed in the room as Roman laid Adam down on the nearest cot bed, which just happened to be theirs. Hunter immediately grabbed his medical tote. He wanted to check both Adam and Mark.

Sheamus explained what happened. "It must have been the same thing that hit Mark, and blew out all the equipment. Chris you seem to have the only working radio, better get Jason back in here. We need to regroup." The Irishman took control, more out of guilt than anything. No one in the CHGH minded, after all Sheamus knew the castle.

Hunter was in full Physician mode. "Mark, I want you to lay down. I'll be there as soon as I check Adam. Please?" He looked sternly at Mark. He knew the man hated to be fussed over. Hunter flashed a glance at Wade. Wade nodded in understanding.

"Come on, Mark. Hunter is right, but he needs to take care of Adam first." Wade pulled Mark towards their cot. Mark was too worried about Adam to put up a fuss about lying down.

Jason came into the room, he was breathless from running and sweat ran down his face. All he'd managed to get out of Chris' message was that Adam was down. The static on the radio had been horrible.

Heath pulled Jason aside and give him a bottle of electrolyte replacement drink. He whispered quietly what had happened as they watched Hunter examine Adam.

Everything had come to a halt. Seth could care less about the equipment as Dean held him close. Evan clung to Chris and fought back the tears that threatened to rain down his cheeks. Wade watched as he sat on the edge of the bed with Mark, and Jason held Heath tightly around the waist.

Shawn looked in the medical tote for the blood pressure cuff Hunter had asked for. He found the cuff and deftly wrapped it around Adam's arm. Hunter then took control of the blood pressure cuff and pumped the bulb. He held the bell of the stethoscope tightly against the pulse point on the inside of Adam's elbow.

"Eighty over fifty... it's low, but nothing to really worry about; yet. I'd rather it be low than too high. Shawn, get the vapour capsules please. Let's see if we can rouse him..." Hunter had that really annoying Doctor's tone and look... the one that told you nothing.

Shawn found the packet of capsules. He took one out, broke it open and waved it under Adam's nose. Like he had in Cedar Rapids, Adam tried to move his nose away from the smell by turning his head.

Hunter gently tapped Adam's face with the fingertips of one hand, while he rubbed a pressure point on Adam's chest with the knuckles of his other hand. Adam groaned in annoyed pain as his hands pushed at Hunter's.

Roman reached over and took one of Adam's arms by the wrist. "Come on, Viking, open those eyes and come back to me. You can do it." He spoke with encouragement to his husband. Roman smiled when Adam's eyes began to flutter and open.

Shawn put the broken capsule in a small plastic bag, then threw it away. He watched with anxious eyes as Hunter once again checked Adam's blood pressure.

"Much better. Ninety over seventy. Adam? Are you with us?" Hunter spoke firmly as he removed the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope and handed them to Shawn. Shawn took the items and put them back in the tote.

"I... think... so... Ro?" Adam muttered with a weak, breathy voice. He blinked a few more times then finally kept his beautiful eyes open.

"I'm here, Viking. How do you feel?" Roman leaned down so Adam could see him better. He smiled brightly when Adam looked at him.

Adam crinkled his brow. "Like I was hit by a train going a thousand miles per hour. Is everyone alright?" He looked around as much as he could, but he felt to weak to lift his head.

"Mark got hit too, when he bent down to look into the oubliette, but nothing like you got. All the equipment went dead, split seconds before the hits." Seth explained as he stepped up to speak.

"Mark? Are you alright?" Adam asked as he rubbed his eyes trying to focus better.

Mark propped himself up with his elbows, as he replied to Adam. "I'm fine, just a bit winded. What I felt in the oubliette was pure evil, but what hit me wasn't exactly the same evil, but it wasn't friendly either. And, I don't think it was after me personally, I just happened to be in the way... I... it was... after you." Mark had a sudden feeling and spoke what he felt. He realized the force had been after something, or rather someone... Adam.

Hunter gave Adam a pat on the shoulder. "Stay down. I'm going to check Mark." He gave Adam another pat.

"Thanks, Doc... Well, if it wanted my attention, they or it, sure got it. Strange thing is, I felt nothing. I used psychometry and felt nothing. That's never happened before. Even if I don't feel a spirit, I always feel something, if only a flash of memory. I've... it's just... strange. At least I wasn't jumped. Was anything picked up before Mark and I got hit?" Adam asked as he regained himself more and more with each passing minute.

Evan sat on his and Chris' cot bed, which was the one right next to the Reigns'. "It was really strange. Hunter found a faint carving of a child in the stonework of the fireplace. Chris said he couldn't date the picture because it was just a face, no clothes were carved. I radioed Shawn to make a note. I thought maybe you could look at the carving. The motion detector went off in the hallway. While we were checking on that, the teddy bear went off. We went to check it... then everything went quiet... too quiet... know what I mean?" He looked at his mentor with a confused twist of his lips.

Adam's left forearm rested on his forehead, to shade his eyes from the lamp light. "Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. Like for a moment, everything is just... sucked out of the air. Mark, you doin' okay?" Adam's voice was still weak.

Hunter finished checking Mark. Mark now sat up on the edge of the bed. "I'm alright, just a little tired. I'm ready to go down there and find out what the hell happened." He spoke with grit and determination. Wade would never say it, but now he was _against_ Mark going into the oubliette.

Adam nodded. "I agree. We need to get back to work. Something is going on here. Sheamus, any thoughts?" He sat up a bit. Adam smiled and took the bottle of water Roman handed him.

Sheamus rubbed his ginger bearded chin thoughtfully. "I honestly don't know what to say. I've never seen anything like this before. Sure, we've had battery drains. I've been scratched, as have others, but never have I seen anyone knocked off their feet. You went at least three feet in the air." He spoke with a shake of his head, and disbelief in his voice.

Adam gave a scoff. "I should have expected something without Grandmother to warn me. I shudder to think how it would have been without Shawn and Wade's protection. Seth, where do we stand?" Adam looked over to the computer engineer.

Seth had gone back to checking all the equipment. "Seems like everything is working again. I'll never understand how drained batteries can work again." He gave a shake of his head as he remotely set all the devices spread around the castle.

"It's not that they really drain the batteries, they just borrow the energy. It's hard to explain, but they use the energy, then when the spirit or whatever leaves, the battery power returns, perhaps with a little drainage. That's the best way I can explain it." Roman sounded like the Doctor of Parapsychology he was, as he explained things to Seth.

Seth nodded. "I get it, thanks, Roman. Well, I'm ready anytime you are." He gave a wave to the now working cameras, motion detectors and other equipment on the computers.

Shawn spoke up. "I think we should take a bit of a break and eat something. Mark and Adam could use the nutrition and the rest of us could use the energy." He sounded more like a concerned parent than anything.

"I agree, Shawn. The extra rest won't hurt and both of you need to get your blood sugar up." Hunter reiterated Shawn's idea firmly.

No one objected and both Roman and Wade thought the extra time to relax would be good. Adam wobbled on his feet just a little as he stood. Roman held his husband steady with an arm around his waist.

Seth made sure everything was recording. He made a note of the time so he would know later, when no one was watching the equipment.

It wasn't unusual to leave the command base unmanned, at least for a while. Sometimes it was like the spirits knew they weren't being watched, and left some good audio evidence that was detected later.

Sheamus led the group to the kitchen of the living quarters of Leap. It was like entering a whole different world. The atmosphere was light and cheerful. They turned on the kitchen light, the only light on in the entire castle.

Sheamus, Roman and Wade began to lay out the makings for sandwiches, they weren't up to cooking a meal of steaks. Mrs. Ryan had left a note telling where the plates and other things were located.

Hunter poured two large glasses of orange juice for Mark and Adam. He wanted to quickly renew the blood sugar in their weakened systems.

As they ate their meal of sandwiches and hot tea, they discussed the plan for the rest of the evening.

"I want you to wait until tomorrow to go down in the oubliette, Mark. I'd rather you concentrate on trying to contact the Priest. Jason, you stay with us, Sheamus will go with Mark's team. Hunter, Chris and Evan stay with the nursery area and we'll go back to the gallery. All I can advise is to be extra alert." Adam addressed his team. He sounded a lot stronger after eating a huge corned beef sandwich.

Mark frowned, but didn't argue, he respected Adam as the team leader. If Adam said to do something, Mark followed directions, even if he personally disagreed. The only exception would be to voice his opinion if he thought the situation was dangerous.

Adam noticed the frown on Mark's face. "I know you wanted to go down there tonight. I can't allow it in good conscious, Mark. You and I have taken major hits, I won't risk your safety again tonight. Tomorrow, after some rest, then go for it." He gave the Demonologist a pat on the back.

Mark smiled. "You're the boss. I appreciate the concern. You are probably right. I'll go in tomorrow. Alright, lets get going, you heard the boss." The tall man gave a wave of his hands as if to "shoo" the group out of the kitchen.

The kitchen was quickly cleaned and the teams left to finish up that nights investigation. Seth led Shawn and Heath back to the command base, while the other teams made their way back to their locations.

At each location, the groups called out to the spirits of Leap Castle. Much to everyone's chagrin, no spirits seemed to communicate.

At three o'clock in the morning, Adam declared there was no point to keep going. He ended the evenings investigation. Feeling disappointed, they went to the command base/bedroom.

As the group got ready for bed, Sheamus spoke. "I simply don't understand it. Never has this happened, ever. The Priest at least always shows up, in some way. I've brought you to the most paranormally active castle in Ireland, and for what?! Seth, everyone, I'm so sorry. You'll think I'm a real dick now!" The Irishman was in near tears of frustration.

Seth went to his friend and sat next to Sheamus. He put an arm around his shoulder. "No you're not a dick. We've learned these things happen. We still have a long time to investigate. No telling what we've picked up on camera or audio. Nobody hates you or blames you, so buck up fella." Seth gave Sheamus a smile.

Everyone assured Sheamus he was not a dick. As they settled down for the night, they laughed and joked happily. Seth made sure everything was set to record, before crawling into bed with Dean.

Soon all the couples were curled up together in their cozy cots. Sheamus fell asleep feeling better, after all, there was still tomorrow.

What they didn't know was, it had _not_ been a fruitless investigation. They would eventually find that out.

In the mean time, the evil at Leap was in full force... as a spirit settled in to slowly take over its chosen victim.


	20. The Second Day at Leap

None of the others stirred when Seth woke Dean up at five in the morning. They had to change the capture discs in the static cameras. The gray light of early morning came in through the castle windows to help light their way.

Nothing paranormal hindered their work. Dean yawned as Seth changed the disc in the last camera in the Gallery. He'd only agreed to get up so early so Seth would be safe while he worked.

"Come on, sleepy head. You know Jason or Shawn would have come with me." Seth whispered as he led a nearly sleepwalking Dean back to the bedroom.

Dean gave another huge yawn, and began to speak before he finished the yawn. "They don't love you like I do." He mumbled his words through yet another yawn. Dean gave his sleep mussed auburn hair a tousle, it made the mop of unruly hair fall in a sexy swirl around his face.

Seth's heart skipped a beat when he looked at Dean. His lover was so fucking handsome. Seth, at that moment, wished they weren't sharing a bedroom with eleven other men. Luckily Dean missed the lust filled look Seth had flashed him. He wouldn't have cared about fucking Seth in front of everyone.

When the couple got back to the bedroom, Seth was surprised to see Shawn sitting the glow of the computer screens. Dean gave a shrug and fell back into his and Seth's cot. Seth smiled at Dean, then went to see why Shawn was sitting there, watching the screens.

Seth slid into a chair next to the older man. Shawn's eyes were transfixed to the screen. Seth looked at the screen, his breath left his body. The faint image of a monk paced the floor of the Bloody Chapel.

Shawn, his eyes still on the screen began to whisper. "I heard a noise and got up to look. Then I saw you and Dean changing the disc in the Gallery. I was about to go back to bed when I saw him. He looks like I do, when I practice a sermon. I pace like that while I think. Should we wake Adam?" He asked his fellow investigator.

Seth looked over his shoulder at the group of sleeping men. He rubbed his beard in thought. "Naw, let him sleep. We have it recorded here. We might get more if we don't disturb the spirit. Look at that, Shawn! A full bodied apparition! Do you know how rare that is?" He whispered, but inside he was shouting. This was the Holy Grail of paranormal investigating.

Shawn could only nod. Seeing a spirit like that always made him contemplate things from the Bible. Things like angels being neither male nor female, or souls going to Heaven. But then he thought about the verse that spoke of spirits that walked upon the earth. After all, the resurrected Christ was the most important "ghost" ever to be seen. Whatever they saw, heard or came up against was for a reason, period.

Seth and Shawn watched the spirit of the Monk for another twenty minutes. Suddenly a disembodied voice came from somewhere in the Bloody Chapel. " _They are watching you, go!"_ The voice was commanding. The Monk stopped pacing and looked directly at the camera.

Neither Shawn or Seth could see anything but a hooded face. They could barely make out a bearded chin. His hands were hidden in the bell style sleeves of his robe. A wooden Rosary hung from a gold rope belt around the Monk's waist. Suddenly, without any warning the Monk simply vanished, back into the spirit world.

Shawn and Seth looked at each other. Smiles broke out as they fought the urge to giggle like children on Christmas morning. Shawn nodded toward the door and Seth nodded in agreement. The two men went out into the hallway.

"Breakfast?" Shawn asked his fellow investigator. He knew now they would never be able to go back to sleep.

"Yeah, might as well. I'm sure at least some of the others will be awake soon." Seth whispered excitedly. He turned on the flashlight he still carried and lit the way to the kitchen.

Shawn got down the ingredients to make biscuits, he was ready for a taste of home. Seth first started a pot of coffee, then began to fry up some sausages he found in the refrigerator. They were bigger and thicker than American style sausage, but they had the same basic flavor. The two men busied themselves, but couldn't wait to share their paranormal experience.

Hunter soon joined them, his longish hair was damp from his shower. He gave Shawn a sound kiss. Shawn sat his husband down with a cup of coffee and went back to stirring the gravy.

Seth and Shawn had decided not to say anything about the Monk until they were all together, but it was hard to keep quiet.

By seven-thirty, a sleepy group of paranormal investigators were enjoying scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy. Sheamus loved the American style breakfast, but he had a cup of tea, he couldn't stand the taste of coffee.

Seth looked at Shawn, the preacher nodded with a smile. "Shawn and I have something to tell you..." Seth went on to explain about what they had witnessed that morning.

"... then a disembodied voice came from somewhere close to the camera and said, 'they are watching you, go,' The monk looked up at the camera then vanished." Seth finished telling about their experience with a smile.

"And you didn't _think_ to wake anyone up?" Adam asked with a bite to his tone. His arms were crossed over his chest, and frown curled on his lips.

Shawn and Seth were a bit taken back by Adam's reaction. Shawn looked at their leader. "We did think about it. We decided we might get better and longer results by not rushing up there. I'm sorry if we made the wrong decision."

Adam relaxed his arms. He leaned his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands. "I'm sorry. You're right, Shawn. You probably did catch more than if we'd gone dashing up there. I'm just tired, I didn't mean to snap. Good work, both of you. I can't wait to see the footage. Roman... you take charge today... please?" He looked at Roman with almost empty eyes.

Roman leaned in and took Adam's strong chin in his hand, and looked hard at his husband. "You have a headache don't you? You slept crook necked. I'm sorry, baby. I should have moved you. You were just sleeping so soundly I hated to risk waking you." He gently caressed Adam's face.

Adam pulled his head away from Roman's touch. "I'm alright, just tired. Not your job to wake me and move me like a baby." Once again Adam's words were sharp and biting.

Everyone fell silent. It wasn't like Adam to be so snappy. Adam was always pleasant, even if he had a raging headache. Something was off.

Roman looked like he'd been slapped in the face. Sure, he and Adam fought, all couples did, but Adam was never... mean. He was at a loss.

"I'm sorry, Viking." Roman sounded like a hurt child. His stormy eyes were filled with sadness.

"Ro, I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm so snappy. Maybe last night affected me more than I thought. Sorry everyone." Adam gave the group a sorrow filled look. Adam then gave Roman a soft kiss of apology.

Hunter looked at Adam "And don't you lie to me. Roman and I _know_ when you have one of your headaches. I can see it, your left eye is more dilated. Take one of your pills and go rest. You won't be any use to us like this. Better to rest a few hours and feel better." He spoke firmly but with compassion.

Adam sighed. "Okay, yes, I _have_ a headache. I didn't want to come this far and let everyone down. We only have until six tonight to investigate. I hate these headaches." He wailed in frustration. He didn't cry, but Adam felt like he was being such a wimp. Why did he have to hurt his neck all those years ago.

"Boss, it's like I told Sheamus, you're not letting us down. You took a big hit, none of _us_ would have come through it as well as you. Go, get some rest. You need to be fit to do the psychometry on that carving." Seth spoke with encouragement to Adam.

Wade stepped up to Adam. "I don't think it's a good idea for either you or Evan to be in the Bloody Chapel when Mark goes down in the oubliette. If it hits again, the two of you, with your gifts would be prime targets. Adam, remember how hard you were hit and you were in the Gallery. Imagine how hard the hit would be in the same room! Evan is in danger as well. Even though your gift is locked down, a hit could break your mind open. Like Adam, imagine what kind of images they could blow your mind with. You _could_ wind up at Independence. I'm _not_ being over dramatic, I'm being extremely serious and realistic. I'm worried enough about Mark, I don't have enough power to protect two psychics and Mark." His eyes gleamed with concern as he flicked them from Adam to Evan. He'd been thinking all during breakfast about how to voice his concerns, Adam's headache had opened the door for him.

Sheamus rubbed his chin. "Wade is absolutely right. I was trying to figure out how to say it myself. I couldn't have done it any better. Adam, I saw you fly off your feet in the Gallery. I don't want to even _know_ what would happen if you were in the same room with the spirit energy. Please fella, let us do the Chapel without you." the Irishman spoke in earnest.

Chris pulled Evan from his chair and placed his boy in his lap. Chris wrapped his arms tightly around Evan. "I agree, with Wade and Sheamus. Why don't you stay at command base, and help Seth look after Adam. Please, for me, Evvy?" Chris finished his plea by softly capturing Evan's lips with is for a quick, but love filled kiss.

Roman stood and tenderly placed his hands on Adam's shoulders. "As co-leader, I'm making an executive decision. Adam, you and Evan are going to the command base. Shawn, you'll go help with protection, Evan will take your place at command. Hunter, I want you focused only on Mark's medical status. Chris, Jason, Dean, you will record audio and visual with me. Wade, protection and Sheamus, I want you at the opening of the oubliette, you know what to watch for and can warn Mark. Mark, I want you to take a mini DVR camera and digital recorder down with you. At the _first_ sign of anything dangerous, get out of there. That's it. Any questions?" He spoke with absolute authority. He didn't take over from Adam often, but when he did, Roman did it with confidence.

Adam looked up at his handsome husband and protector. He knew without question, Roman had not only his, but the groups well being at heart. Besides when Roman had that look and tone, he was incredibly sexy.

"Thanks, Islander. You are all in good hands. Let's get going, the clock is ticking." Adam nodded to the group. No one questioned Roman's decisions and after cleaning up the kitchen they all went up to the command base to gear up for the investigation.

While everyone got their gear together, Roman got Adam tucked back into bed for a rest. Adam took one of his milder headache medications. Unlike the shot, the pill didn't knock him completely out. Adam hoped, after a couple of hours of rest, he'd be able to rejoin the investigation.

Roman leaned down and gave Adam a kiss. "Rest, Viking. I love you." He gave Adam another kiss.

Adam gave Roman a sleepy smile. "Love you." He got the words out before he drifted off.

Seth gave Evan the job of listening to the audio. Heath helped monitor the video screens. Seth's fingers were paused and ready to make any adjustments to the computer as they arose.

Chris gave Evan a kiss to the top of his head. "Love you, be careful." Evan whispered to Chris. Chris gave Evan a wink and followed the others out of the door.

Sheamus led the group up the winding, stone staircase to the Bloody Chapel. Even though the room was big, Jason, Dean and Chris stood just outside the door, ready to record anything that happened.

Shawn and Mark stood off in a corner. "Mark, let me bless you with Holy Water?" Shawn asked in a quiet whisper. He held a small, plastic bottle in his hand.

Mark gave Shawn a dubious look. "Since when do you use Holy Water? You're not a Catholic." His brow was highly arched in question.

Shawn pursed his lips. "I was raised Catholic. I know I don't normally, but Mark, you were hit and Adam was tossed into the air. I want you to have all the protection you can get." He explained as he looked Mark directly in the eyes.

Mark saw the deep sincerity in Shawn's eyes. He knew the man only wanted the best for him, and anyway, the extra protection of Holy Water couldn't hurt.

"Alright, Shawn. I'd be honored to have you bless me." Mark lowered his black hood and bowed his head. He held his hands in a position of prayer.

Shawn opened the bottle of Holy Water. He wet his fingers, then made the sign of the cross on Mark's forehead, as he spoke. "May God, who through water and the the Holy Spirit, have given us a new birth in Christ, be with you and your spirit. Amen." Shawn repeated the prayer as he placed the Holy Water on Mark's chest and the back of both hands. He finished and capped the bottle of water and slipped it back into his pack.

"Thank you, Shawn. Shawn... if... will you and Hunter look after Wade..." he was hesitant but he hoped his meaning was clear.

"Of course we will, but you will be fine." Shawn gave Mark's shoulder a friendly pat. He took out his audio recorder and went back to being a paranormal investigator.

At ten in the morning, Mark took hold of the ladder that went down into the oubliette. Sheamus and Wade were also in the recessed space.

Roman looked around the room. "Wait, there are just too many of us here. Hunter you stay with me and do the audio. The rest of you, split up and explore. Too many may keep the spirits away." He spoke thoughtfully as he reconsidered the situation.

Soon the others had left to explore the rest of Leap. Hunter, Roman, Wade and Sheamus were left in the Bloody Chapel. Mark finally went down into the dark hole.

Mark reached up and took the candle Wade had lit for him. He next took the FLIR camera Sheamus had brought from his supply of equipment.

The air in the oubliette was oppressive. He could feel the pain and torture in the atmosphere. It was the most horrible place he'd ever been in. He gathered up his robe and crawled into the corner. All that remained of the iron spikes were rusted stains on the rock lined floor. At least Mark told himself it was rust and not blood as he crawled over the stains.

Roman and Hunter went to the far end of the Bloody Chapel. Roman used his FLIR camera. Even though it was bright daylight outside, the single, small window in the room had been boarded over, so the room was as black as night.

Hunter called out. "If there are any spirits here, give us a sign. Touch one of us, talk to us, use our energy. Is there anyone here?" He held the recorder out and paused to wait for an answer.

Down in the oubliette, Mark settled into the corner, he put his back against the wall. He began to film in the dark space. He looked for anything with an odd glow of something either abnormally hot or cold.

Mark noticed a few of the rust stains showed a bit of heat. It made sense if they were iron stains, as metal retains heat. He took out his audio recorder and began calling out to possible spirits like Hunter had done upstairs.

Roman panned the thermal imagining camera slowly around the room. Suddenly he began to make out a darker image. What ever was trying to manifest was cold. He tapped Hunter on the shoulder and nodded to the screen he held in his hand.

Hunter looked at the screen them to the corner where the figure was appearing. He thought he could see a black shadow, but he wasn't sure if it was really there, or if it was a trick of his eyes.

"We can see you... are you the monk?... Did your brother kill you?..." Hunter asked in the direction of the shadow.

Roman let out a sigh, the shadowy figure had vanished. Suddenly he let out a cry of pain as he fought not to drop the camera. The hard part of his job was that it took both hands. He filmed with the camera in his right hand, and in his left hand, he held the small monitor that showed what the camera filmed. It was awkward at best, but over the years, he'd become an expert.

Hunter immediately spun on his heels and looked at Roman, who's face was contorted in pain. "What?" He asked in a sharp whisper.

"My neck, down my back. I've been scratched." Roman growled in a pained whisper. He set the camera and monitor down on the floor and pulled off his navy blue polo style shirt.

Hunter pocketed his audio recorder and moved to look at Roman's back. He shined his flashlight on Roman's skin. Sure enough, there was a long, red line that ran from the base of Roman's neck, down his spinal ridge to the waist band of his jeans.

"Wow, this is the worst paranormal scratch I've ever seen. We need to go back to base so I can treat this." Hunter's lip quirked in deep concern.

Before Roman could respond, they heard a yell from Mark. Roman put the searing pain in the back of his mind, threw on his shirt and picked up his camera gear. Roman and Hunter took off for the recessed corner.

When Roman and Hunter reached the area where the entrance to the oubliette, Mark was climbing up the ladder. "I hope I caught it... I hope I caught it..." He kept repeating the phrase. Mark was breathless and sweat glowed on his brow.

"Caught what?" Roman asked in a voice mixed with pain and excitement. His skin still burned from the scratch.

Mark took a deep breath. "I saw a... a... face, just an evil, vile looking face. It spoke and said, 'he's mine, he's mine now. I'll show the other he's mine.' then the face vanished. I had the camera on, but I don't know if I caught anything. I've seen a lot of evil things in my life but this... this... was hideous." He was still shaken.

Roman and Hunter exchanged glances. Mark was never thrown off, by anything. If Mark was this upset, what ever he saw or heard had to be horrible.

"I was scratched. You think it was your... spirit? We had just seen the Monk in the corner, I thought maybe he had done it." Roman explained with a riffle of his shoulders. His skin felt like it was on fire.

Mark looked up at Roman. "You were scratched? I honestly don't know. What I do know is that someone is in trouble..." Mark's eyes grew dark as a thought interrupted his words. He didn't want to say what he thought.

Hunter put pause to everything. "I need to get Roman down to base. This scratch needs tending." He spoke with firm authority.

Before anyone could say anything, Evan's voice crackled over the radio. "Everyone return to base... _NOW_!" his tone was frantic.

Without a word, Wade threw out his hand and pulled Mark up off the floor. With Sheamus leading the way, the group left the tower of the Bloody Chapel.

At the foot of the stairs, they met up with Jason, Dean and Chris. "Anyone know what's up?" Dean asked as they kept going towards the bedroom where their command central base was located.

"No idea." Sheamus thew over his shoulder as his foot skidded on the stone floor as he rounded the corner.

Jason was closest and caught the Irishman before he fell. "Thanks, fella." Sheamus barked as they continued on. No one knew what to think, but they were all highly concerned.

When they got to the room, Shawn, Evan and Seth were all around Adam's bed. Their leader was visibly trembling. The shaking was so bad, the cot bed bounced on the floor. Adam's eyes were closed, and made sounds like a person makes when they are cold, his teeth chattered and bits of foam formed at the corners of his mouth.

His own pain forgotten, Roman rushed to his husband's side. He knelt down next to the bed. He took one of Adam's hands in his and placed the other hand on Adam's forehead.

"My god, Hunter, he's burning up. Do something." Roman looked up at the group Physician with terror in his eyes. Adam felt like he'd been lying in the desert for hours under the blazing hot sun.

"First thing. Everyone else, back up, or better yet, go investigate. Just give Adam space. Shawn, take his temperature." Hunter spoke as he rifled through his medical bag for his stethoscope and blood pressure cuff. Shawn took out the thermometer, and placed it in Adam's ear.

Hunter allowed Roman to stay where he was, but he glared at the rest of the group because no one had moved. "Please, at least back up a bit." He nearly growled his words as he began to take Adam's blood pressure.

Heath spoke up. "Come on, give them some privacy. Lets go have a cup of tea." He looked at Jason. He could see the fear on his husband's face and in his eyes.

"Oh Addy..." Jason muttered under his breath. His brother was in trouble and there was nothing he could do to help him.

"Come on, Daddy. Hunter will take care of him." Heath whispered quietly in Jason's ear. He tugged gently on Jason's belt loop.

Everyone but Mark and Wade went to the kitchen. Mark stopped in the hallway, he stopped Wade as well.

"It's Adam. It makes sense, Wade. That evil spirit said, he's mine now, I'll show the other he's mine. Roman was scratched right after that... Wade, it's a possession." Mark hesitated as he spoke, they were horrifying words and a terrible thought to think.

Wade shook his head. "You can't be sure, Mark. Maybe Adam is just sick. He had a headache, fever can cause that. We can't go flying off the handle. It's almost worse to do a ceremony by mistake. We have to be absolutely sure. Let's see what Hunter has to say." Wade was cautious and hoped Mark knew what he meant.

Mark chewed his lip. "I suppose you're right. I don't know for sure, but, oh Wade. I've never... it was... Satan himself..." He shuddered as he spoke. The face he'd seen was one he would never forget.

Wade wrapped his arms around Mark. He hugged his fiancé close. Mark sighed, it felt good to me in Wade's arms. He soaked up the comfort like a sponge.

When Chris came out of the kitchen to look for Mark and Wade he smiled. He thought the embracing couple needed to be left alone, so he went back to the kitchen.

"They... need some time..." Chris spoke low to the group. Everyone stood around the center island in the kitchen. Chris turned to Evan. "You alright, baby boy?" He whispered softly.

Evan leaned his head on Chris' shoulder. "Worried about Adam. He just … started shaking. He'd been sleeping so soundly... it was so... fast." He explained with a sniff.

"When, Evan?" Mark's deeps voice asked as he and Wade entered the kitchen. His black robe still had dusty patches in places.

Evan's head shot up, Mark had startled him." Um... I don't really know. I didn't look at a clock. He just started shaking." He looked at Mark with a bit of fear. Sometimes the Demonologist scared him.

Mark smiled at Evan. "It's alright, I just thought you might have noticed the time. Can you remember what was happening on the monitors, just before he started shaking?" He looked in earnest at the young man.

Evan rubbed his eyes as he thought. "I was listening to the audio. I think it was just after I heard you coming up from the dungeon thing, but I'm not sure." He answered as best he could.

Mark again chewed his lip. He was in deep thought. Everyone was quiet. The only sound was the clanking of tea cups and the slurp of tea as it went over lips through teeth. Jason's eyes occasionally flicked up to the ceiling, his thoughts on his best friend.

Hunter gave a grunt as he removed the blood pressure cuff. "Perfectly normal. Shawn?" He looked at his husband.

Shawn read the results from the electronic thermometer. "One hundred even, hardly a fever. I don't understand it, he's blazing hot. Allergic reaction?" He asked his husband, brow raised. Sometimes Shawn wished he'd finished his nurse's training.

Hunter pursed his lips. "Could be, but I don't know to what. Maybe something in the castle. At least the shaking has stopped. Until he wakes up, all we can do is keep him comfortable." He made sure the covers were pulled up to Adam's chin.

Roman looked at Hunter, he still held his husband's hand. "That's it? Hunter, what's wrong with my husband?" His voice was sharp and filled with anger mixed with worry.

Hunter sighed. " I can't be sure without tests. If he doesn't come around soon, we'll take him to a hospital. My hands are tired. Roman, I need tests. He resting quietly, his blood pressure is normal, he's breathing fine on his own, his temp isn't alarmingly high..." His words faded, he didn't know what else to say.

Shawn gave Hunter's shoulders a rub. "Adam is strong, Roman. Hunter will do all he can, you know that." he spoke softly to the distressed man.

Roman's eyes never left his sleeping husband. He sighed. "I know, I know. It's hard to see the person you love, more than life its self... be so... so... stricken." He gave Adam's brow a gentle caress and held his hand tightly.

Downstairs, Mark spoke to the group. "I think we're done here. I suggest we break everything down and pack up. We may need to be ready to get Adam to a hospital. What do you all think?"

Seth immediately agreed. "Yup. We are done. Dean, Jason, Heath and Chris, you go break everything down, but stay together." He put his empty tea cup down. He'd never really been a tea drinker, but it had been something to do.

"I'll go with them. Wade, you go with Sheamus and Seth to break down the command base. Listen, _nobody_ wander off, _stay_ together." Mark warned with a sharp tone of voice.

Everyone agreed. Before they left, Sheamus, Wade and Seth made sure the kitchen was neat and clean. After all, Sheamus had a responsibility to the Ryan's.

When the three got to the command base, Hunter shushed them. Adam had started to wake up.

Roman encouraged Adam. "Come on, baby, come back to me. Open those mata aulelei for me, please..." He rubbed Adam's cheek gently. Adam's eyes fluttered a few times. "That's it, come on, baby. Wake up." Roman's voice was a bit sharper and louder.

Adam's eyes fluttered once more, then opened. He felt Roman holding his hand, so he used his other hand to rub his eyes.

Hunter leaned over his patient. "How do you feel, son?" His eyes held that Doctor's concern.

Adam looked from Hunter to Roman. "I feel fine. The rest did me good, headache is gone. Why all the fuss?" He asked curiously. He felt marvellously well rested.

Both Roman and Hunter explained to Adam what had happened. "Maybe I had a bad dream? I feel just fine." Adam nearly laughed at the fuss being made over him.

Roman laughed in relief. "You did give us quite a scare, baby." He leaned in to hug Adam. When Adam hugged his husband back, Roman, the mighty Islander, let out a sudden, violent hiss of pain. The scratch had begun to burn in earnest again.

"Now, I'll look at that scratch." Hunter nodded to Roman. He dug back into his medical supplies.

Roman explained to Adam about the scratch. "I'll say one thing, this castle is... active." Adam declared as he sat up. He left Roman in Hunter's capable hands.

Mark stepped over to Adam. Wade had radioed that Adam was awake and he quickly returned to the base to question their leader. "Adam, can you remember anything about the dream?"

Adam shook his head. "No, I don't. I think I'm kind of glad I don't, if I acted like that. What's going on?" He looked from Mark to where the others were breaking things down.

"I called it quits. Thought we might need to take you to the hospital. There's only a couple of hours left. I did the right thing." Mark spoke with conviction.

Adam nodded. "Damn shame. Such an opportunity, wasted. Maybe we can come back." He looked around the room to where Hunter worked on Roman's back.

Adam was able to get to his feet. He went over to where Roman sat, shirtless. Hunter had cleaned the scratch with antibiotic wipes.

The psychic was shocked at the length of the wound. "Oh Roman, my love. Does it hurt?" Adam's voice was filled with concern as he watched Hunter. Roman's skin twitched each time Hunter dabbed the scratch with more liquid antibiotic.

"It burned like fire, but now it's only a bit irritated. It could have been the Monk. I can't wait to start looking at all the data. I'm sure we have a lot more than it appears. It wasn't a waste. I'm just glad you're alright. I don't mind saying, you had us rather worried. I'll be glad to get back to the hotel and pamper you." Roman smiled and took Adam's hand in his. Adam smiled when Roman kissed his hand.

Before Adam could respond, Jason and the others returned with the packed up equipment. There was a hubbub of chatter as Adam answered everyone's questions. The members of the College Hill Ghost Hunters were glad their leader was unscathed, to the point of almost being giddy.

While the others began to carry equipment out of the castle, Hunter applied a long, medicine soaked bandage to Roman's back. Adam held the bandage while Hunter secured it with tape.

"I want you to keep this on until morning. It's loaded with pain relieving antibiotics. Adam, I want you to rest, don't even think about this place for a while." Hunter spoke firmly as he packed up his medical tote.

The Reigns' promised to follow Doctor's orders. Adam only regretted that he could not thank Sean Ryan, but he was now busy with a film crew, somewhere out on the castle grounds.

Sheamus spoke before getting on his motorcycle. "I'll go home. Seth call me when you run the data. I'm sorry Leap didn't show her usual self, but, I have a feeling the data will show something. I enjoyed it. See you fellas later." The Irishman put on his helmet and mounted his motorcycle. The group said good bye and waved to their friend.

"Well, lets go." Mark said with a wave to the vans. Both he and Wade had removed their robes and were ready to drive back to the hotel.

No one quite knew what to make of the last twenty-four hours. It hadn't been the investigation they'd hoped for, but it had been eventful.

If Adam hadn't been looking out of the window, Roman would have seen a frightening sight. For a brief moment, Adam's hazel eyes turned as black as midnight, and a horrible, gruesome, sneer distorted his face. It was if Satan himself had take up residence in Adam's very soul... perhaps... he had.


	21. Strange Behavior

When they got back to the hotel, the College Hill Ghost Hunters unloaded their equipment. They stored it in the first floor suite Dean and Seth shared with Mark and Wade. The other four couples went to their second floor suites. They unpacked and everyone opted to order room service for dinner. Nobody felt like dressing for dinner in the dining room, or like going out.

In their suite, Roman, Adam, Jason and Heath all curled up in the living room section of their suite and watched old English comedy shows as they munched on pizza and drank ice cold beer.

When Roman and Heath excused themselves for a bathroom break, Jason turned to Adam. "Are you sure you're alright, Addy? I mean you were really out of it." He looked at his best friend with deep concern and a grim face.

Adam rolled his eyes. "Yes, mother, I'm fine. God, I only had a bad dream and you are all ready to send me to the hospital. And please, _stop_ calling me Addy, I'm not a little boy anymore." He wasn't sharp, but Adam was obviously annoyed as he took a long swing of his beer.

"Don't be so testy. You didn't see how hard the bed shook, I thought it would rise up and float. You will always be my Addy, so live with it." Jason sounded like a bossy, older brother. He gave Adam a playful slap on the shoulder.

"You've watched too many hokey movies. We don't float above beds." Adam replied in an odd voice. It was almost, for a split second like a deep, vile voice had joined Adam's. It was just brief, Jason just thought Adam had belched while speaking.

Roman returned first. As soon as the Islander sat down, Adam latched on to him. Adam ran a teasing finger around Roman's ear. That was always a sign that Adam was horny and hungry for sex. Roman cocked an eyebrow, he hadn't expected Adam to want sex. He was glad Jason's attention was diverted with Heath's return. Roman could tell Jason had been about to say something about Adam's actions.

Adam leaned up and took Roman's ear lobe between his teeth. He raked the flesh gently. He the blew a hot breath on the damp skin. It made Roman inhale sharply and a shiver ran up his spine. He cock grew hard in his tight jeans.

"You want me, you know you do." Adam whispered with soft, warm words in Roman's sensitive ear. His tongue licked at Roman's ear, then ran down his muscular neck. Adam bit sharply into the flesh at the base of Roman's neck where it connected to his shoulder.

Roman didn't exactly mind Adam's aggression, it did happen sometimes, but he was surprised that Adam was so open in front of Jason and Heath.

"I think we'd better take this to the bedroom. I don't fancy letting anyone have a look at what's mine." Roman replied with an impish smirk. Adam had done a good job at arousing him.

Adam couldn't stand up fast enough. "Goodnight, Jaybird, night Ginger Snap." He nearly pulled Roman off the couch with one finger hooked in Roman's belt.

Heath watched Adam and Roman leave the room. His face was twisted in confusion. Jason noticed his husband's look. "Ginger Snap?" He had the same curl of confusion on his lips as Heath, Adam very rarely used Heath's "pet endearment" nickname.

Heath looked at Jason. "I... something just isn't right. That was _not_ Adam..." his words faded as he became lost in his thoughts.

Jason reached over and bushed a stray strand of red hair from Heath's face. "He'll be alright. You know he gets... odd after an experience sometimes. Come on, lets go to bed, it's been a strange twenty-four hours. We'll have a long data review session tomorrow, we need the rest." He stood and held his hand out to his husband.

Heath nodded with a sigh. "I suppose so, but lets keep an eye on him. Yeah, not looking forward to that... well... the data will be interesting, but you know how Seth gets." He took Jason's hand and stood. Hand in hand they walked to their bedroom.

Roman had barely closed their bedroom door before Adam jumped into his arms. He locked his long legs around Roman's waist. He put his hands on Roman's cheeks, and rammed his tongue down Roman's throat.

Roman was glad his own legs were so powerful and muscular as Adam wrapped around him. Roman wrapped his arms around Adam and held on to him. He let Adam's tongue explore his mouth. He gave up trying to analyze his husband's behaviour as passion over took him. The harder Adam pressed against him, the harder Roman's cock became and he could tell Adam was just as hard.

Adam unwrapped himself from Roman, and slid down to his knees. Adam reached up and unbuckled Roman's belt and unzipped the zipper of his jeans. Adam grabbed the waistband of both Roman's jeans and thong, he slid the material down to Roman's knees. Adam buried his nose in Roman's groin and inhaled deeply. Roman placed his hands on Adam's head, his fingers slid into the soft blond locks as Adam's mouth engulfed his cock.

Adam whimpered around Roman's cock, his husband tasted like the best food on earth. The slight vibration from Adam's whimper made Roman's cock tingle like it had been hit with an electric shock. It travelled up his spine, through his brain and vanished through the ends of his hair.

Adam's left hand rested on Roman's hip, while his right stroked the extra sensitive strip of skin that ran from under his balls to his hole. The feeling made Roman fight to keep his knees from buckling, it was incredible.

When Adam took Roman's cock deep into his throat, Roman tossed his head back, his eyes rolled up as they closed. He let out a low, animalistic growl. Adam let his tongue go flat and wide as he licked his way back up to the tip of Roman's throbbing shaft.

Roman's fingers tangled in Adam's hair when the invading tongue lapped at his pre-cum filled slit. Adam then trailed his tongue down the thick, pulsing vein that ran down the underside of Roman's cock. Once the skin was wet, Adam puckered his lips and blew. Roman's growl of lust grew even more animalistic.

Adam proceeded to mouth fuck his husband. He ignored the fact that his own hard cock ached to be released from the confines of his jeans.

Roman wanted more, he wanted his cock in Adam's tight heat. He could feel the long bandage as he stretched and moved his back, but there was no pain from the paranormal wound. He pulled Adam's head back. "Bed." was all he said.

There was a flurry of cloth as clothes landed in various places on the hotel room floor. Covers were pulled back in a wave of white linen. Roman lay on his back as Adam straddled across his groin.

Adam reached back and took Roman's cock in his hand and guided the tip to his quivering, puckered hole. Adam gave a whimper as he lowered himself onto the shaft of flesh. Every so often, Adam stopped to let his hole expand to let Roman in. When he couldn't wait any longer, he fully impaled himself. Adam hissed through his gritted teeth and panted in an effort to relieve the moment of pain.

While it did burn, it was a feeling Adam loved. He bent his body and his lips hovered over Roman's. "Burn me with the Dark Lord's fire," his breath was hot, his eyes were nearly black with lust.

Roman didn't really think about Adam's strange turn of phrase, he was too filled with lust and desire for his beautiful husband. He pulled Adam in for a deep, slow burning kiss. His right hand slid down between their bodies. Roman took Adam's hard, hot cock in his hand.

Adam bucked his hips as he rose up. The blond braced himself with his hands on Roman's broad, muscular chest. They set a slow, sensual rocking pace. Adam rolled his hips like an exotic dancer as they made love. The control Adam had started with slowly left him as Roman took over. The hell fire that had consumed them turned to a slow flame. Their kisses and touches became soft and tender.

Roman rolled them over, now he was the one on top of Adam. Adam's left knee was up and rested against Roman's hip as the Islander readjusted himself in Adam's slick channel. His hand once again wrapped around Adam's cock. Roman's lips nipped and sucked on the flesh of Adam's delicious neck.

Roman adjusted the angle of his hips so that he rubbed against that bundle of nerves that made Adam's eyes roll. Adam let out the most glorious sound of pleasure as their love making continued.

Finally, Adam let out a soft cry as his cock spilled it's creamy contents into Romans hand. The eruption caused his muscles to clench down around Roman's shaft. Roman filled Adam with his cum as he kissed his husband. A groan of pleasure from Roman was swallowed by Adam.

After a bit of recovery time, Roman rolled onto his back. Like a magnet, Adam turned on his side and curled up against his beloved husband. Roman wrapped his arms around Adam and held him close.

"I love you." Roman muttered as a deep, sex sated sleep over took them, body and soul.

"He loves you." Adam muttered in the same sleepily sated voice. Roman again never seemed to hear the odd reply, as he snored softly. Just before Adam drifted off, an evil laced smirk crossed over his lips. Soon a deep, almost unnaturally deep sleep claimed Adam.

Roman frowned as he came out of the bathroom. He'd been in there for the better part of an hour, taking a shower, grooming and dressing for the day. Adam had been asleep, and was still asleep. It was unusual, Adam always joined him in the bathroom at some point, even if it was just to piss.

Roman looked at his watch, they had thirty minutes before meeting the others downstairs for breakfast. Roman's frown turned to a smile, Adam looked so adorable, curled up. Adam held Roman's pillow in his arms.

Roman gently shook Adam. "Viking, time to wake up. You still have enough time to shower, if you get up now." He spoke firmly in order to waken Adam.

It took another firm shake for Adam to even stir. He blinked a few times. "Wow... I haven't slept that hard... in a long... long time..." Adam muttered between wide, open mouthed yawns.

Roman laughed. "Well, I'm glad, you needed it, and after last night... you earned it." He wiggled his brows as he recalled the previous nights sexual encounter.

Adam grinned. "You were rather tasty. I don't know what came over me. I just felt so... needy for you. You were wonderful, my Islander." Adam sat up and kissed Roman softly on the lips.

Roman broke the kiss with a playful swat to Adam's ass. "You were fantastic. Now hurry, we have to get downstairs for breakfast. I put your things out in the bathroom." He'd sat down at the desk and turned on his lap top computer.

Adam slipped out of the bed, he was naked, and the evidence of last nights love making showed on his stomach and lower region. He scurried off to the bathroom. He felt wonderful and well rested.

Roman answered a few brief emails from his doctoral students. He also wrote and email to Bray and filled him in on what happened at Leap. As he wrote about the scratch he'd gotten, Roman realized that during their sex last night, it hadn't hurt a bit. He'd felt the bandage in the shower and removed it.

When Roman had finished his shower, he'd turned to the mirrors and looked at the wound, it was nearly gone. Partly because of Hunter's excellent care and partly because it was the way of some paranormal scratches.

Roman finished his emails. He realized he'd left his wallet on the bathroom vanity table. He shut down the lap top and went into the bathroom. When he opened the door, a wave of hot mist blasted him in the face. The bathroom was so foggy he could barely see the outline of Adam's body as he stood in the tub and dried off.

"Wow, I know you like a hot shower, but that must have been scalding. Are you alright?" Roman asked as he watched Adam dry himself.

"I'm fine. It was gloriously hot water. I'll be out soon. By the way, hows your back?" Adam stepped out of the tub with a towel around his waist. He picked up his hairbrush and looked at Roman with concern in his eyes.

Roman shrugged. "Fine. You know how it is, horrible when it happens, gone hours later. Hurry babe, I'm starving." He'd gone behind Adam and wrapped his arms around his husband and had pulled Adam up against his chest. He was surprised, Adam's skin was cool for the water having been so hot.

Adam laughed. "Then let me get on with it, my love." He craned his neck to kiss Roman's cheek. Roman reluctantly let Adam go, grabbed his wallet and left the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, the CHGH were chowing down on a huge breakfast. Everyone was well rested and were happy to be back in real beds. Seth was talking about the work they had to do.

"I think we should all take a data set. It will make it go faster. I still want to do like usual. Analyze, make notes, trade data sets and repeat. We surely must have caught something, that place was just too weird. Sheamus can't be here, his group got called to a private home. He said sorry, but he couldn't invite us to join him, the family was instant that as few people as possible come. So... we have the conference room as long as we want." He finished speaking with a sip of his hot tea.

"Sounds good to me. Listen, I'm sorry I kind of... wasn't myself. I hope my... whatever it was, didn't ruin this trip. Everyone pay close attention to your data sets. Like Seth said, we have to have captured something." Adam spoke with an apologetic tone as he looked at each member of his loyal, faithful team in the eye.

Hunter looked at Adam. "You did not ruin anything. I wish now we had waited to investigate. I did some research on delayed jet lag. You had a bad case of it, it can cause nightmares and headaches, and some cases fever. We should have waited at least a week before doing anything that required... concentration. You could still have symptoms for up to a week. Adam, don't push yourself. When you need to rest... rest. Roman, I want to look at your back before we start. Is anyone else feeling off?" He sounded like the Physician he was as he expounded to the group.

No one noticed the brief look that passed between Mark and Wade. The rest of the group assured their team Doctor that they felt fine. Mark rubbed his chin, lost in deep thought.

The previous night, Mark and Wade had laid in their bed, and talked about Adam. Mark hoped to find out more during the data review, there were a few questions and he wanted the answers to either ease his mind, or act before it was... too late.

Adam leaned over and gave Hunter a hug. "Thanks, I feel better knowing I'm not.. crazy. I feel much better, I slept like... well... the dead last night. Well, guys, we'd better get started, there is a lot of data to go over." He took a last sip of coffee and motioned for the waitress.

Adam arranged for the waitress to keep the conference room supplied with plenty of coffee, tea, and water. She would also bring sandwiches at lunch time. Once that was done, the College Hill Ghost Hunters left the restaurant and headed for the conference room.

Before he went into the conference room, Mark pulled Evan aside. Evan told Chris to go on, that he'd be there shortly. Chris looked from Evan to Mark. He saw the look in Mark's eye and knew whatever it was, only Evan could be trusted with it. Chris trusted, Mark, so he left his boy in the care of the Demonologist, with a kiss to Evan's cheek.

The Demonologist looked seriously at the young empath. "Evan, this is between us, okay?" Mark waited for the boy's reply.

"Of course, Mark. What's wrong? I can tell, something has been bothering you all morning and I don't need my skills to see it." Evan whispered softly.

Mark continued. "I don't want you taking _any_ risks, please. However, watch Adam, make a mental note if he does anything... strange. Evan, this is very important, you must for fucks sake, keep your empathic door locked. I want a pair of eyes on Adam that... aren't objected, understand?" Mark's brow was so highly arched, it vanished under his bangs.

Evan frowned, a deep, tight frown. "I will, Mark. I'll do everything you ask. Wait... you... you think... Adam was... jumped, don't you?" The realization gleamed in his dark brown eyes.

With a grim face, Mark gave a slow nod. "I'm not sure, that it was a jump. It could be worse, maybe a pos..." He was cut off by Adam.

"Come on, guys. Seth is waiting to get started." Adam gave Evan's shirt sleeve a playful tug.

Evan laughed. "Okay boss. Thanks, Mark, I'll take your advice." He gave a quick wink then a flash of worry to Mark.

Mark took a deep breath. He knew Evan was smart and probably knew what he'd been about to say. He gathered himself and entered the room. Wade waved him over to a small table in the corner.

Each couple had their own table, and one couple took up each of the four corners of the room. Hunter and Shawn sat at one end of a long table in the center of the room, as Dean and Seth sat at the other end.

Seth handed a clip board, notebook and pen to each person as he spoke. "One do video, the other audio. When you're finished, switch. When each couple has done their set twice, switch with the couple on the right and do it all over. You know the drill." He gave the last clip board to Shawn.

"Remember, if anyone feels... odd, let me know. Also, I'll time us for regular breaks. We have a lot of work ahead of us and we need to keep fresh." Hunter added his instructions. Hunter then set his watch for two hours.

They put on their headsets, pressed play on their lap tops and audio recorders and began the long process of analyzing the Leap Castle data.

Mark made sure, that his first data set was his own. Seth hadn't been fond of the idea when Mark had privately spoken to him about it the night before. However, Seth soon realized when a seven foot tall, Demonologist stared you down; you tended to agree quickly. Mark also told Seth to keep it to himself. Nobody else needed to know about the protocol breach.

Mark stared silently at the video he'd captured with the borrowed thermal imaging camera. He hoped he got a recording of the horrid face he'd seen. When he got to the place where he had the paranormal encounter, the image on the screen went haywire. The image became distorted and all color was lost. The distortion only lasted a few seconds. The image cleared and resumed with the footage he'd taken as he scrambled back up the ladder. Mark cursed under his breath with an airy growl.

Wade couldn't hear Mark through his headset, but he could tell his fiancé was agitated. Just as Wade removed his headset, Hunter's watch alarm went off. The first two hours had sped by.

"Guys, mark your places and take a break." Hunter announced in a loud voice, as most still wore their headsets.

Heath and Evan couldn't get their headsets off fast enough. They ran out of the room and headed for the bathroom in the hotel lobby.

Jason laughed. "Guess they had to go. Oh great, coffee. Thanks, lass." He smiled as their waitress from the restaurant came into the room with a cart loaded with both a coffee and a tea pot, cups, saucers and condiments.

Wade held Mark back. "Why were you so angry just now?" His voice was a low whisper, his brow raised.

Mark's shoulders drooped as he sighed. "My camera fucked up right when I should have gotten the image of the face. It cleared up when I was moving towards the ladder. Wade, keep this to yourself..." His last words were hesitant, Adam was staring a hole in him from the other side of the room.

Adam's face was almost... evil as he glared at Mark. When Roman tapped Adam's shoulder, his face became normal. Adam smiled and turned to his husband and took the cup of coffee Roman had poured for him.

Mark realized that no one else had noticed the change that had come over their leader... or... was there? Mark couldn't be sure, maybe he was seeing something that wasn't really there. He knew the mind could play tricks. If he thought something was wrong, then his mind could take a simple thing like a look and make it something it really wasn't.

"Babe?" Wade whispered as he placed his hand on Mark's shoulder. His eyes were narrowed, his lips thin and set in a grim line.

Mark gave Wade a soft smile. "Just frustrated. You know, camera fails right when you need it most. Coffee?" He took Wade gently by the elbow and led him to the refreshment trolley.

Wade looked at Mark like he had four heads. "You dare ask me that? With a pot of Irish tea in the room?"

Mark actually laughed out loud. His laugh made everyone look at him. Mark gave Wade a low, graceful bow. "I do beg your pardon, me Lord." The tension left Wade as he laughed at his future husband's antics.

Heath and Evan weren't sure what had happened when they returned to a room full of hysterical laughter, and Mark laughed hardest of all.

Between them, Jason and Chris explained what had happened. Heath and Evan were sorry to have missed it. While it hadn't really been _that_ funny, under the circumstances, it helped to laugh.

They took their break and Hunter made everyone go outside for a breath of fresh air. While Hunter could make them feel like children at times, everyone agreed, they _were_ refreshed and ready to get back to work.

Everyone settled in and went back to work. The only sounds in the room were the occasional scratchings of pens on paper and the low, almost musical hum of twelve lap top computers.

The day progressed as they diligently continued to work. After all that time, they had barely made a dent in the data to be analyzed. The stacks of discs waiting to be looked at was at least five times higher than the completed stacks.

At seven o'clock in the evening, Hunter put a stop to the day work. Everyone shutdown their lap tops and packed them up. Seth and Dean packed up the data discs. Everything would be locked up in Seth and Dean's bedroom until morning.

Everyone went to their rooms to refresh and change. They were walking up the road to a local pub. The ghost hunters were ready for a night of live music, good pub food and Irish beer.

One by one the couples met in the lobby. Hunter arrived before Shawn. "Wait till you get a look at this... but... be nice, he's very self conscious." Hunter spoke softly, and whispered his last words. Hunter then called out, "Okay Shawn, come on."

Eleven men looked as Shawn came into lobby. Eyes nearly popped as the preacher stepped in front of them.

Hunter had encouraged Shawn to loosen up and have fun and forget he was as pastor for a few hours. Shawn had reluctantly agreed, not because of his religion, but he felt he wasn't as good looking as he once was. Hunter knew this and wanted to give his husband's morale a boost.

Shawn's long hair was down, and he'd styled it to fall in soft, reddish blond waves of silk. He wore a long dangle chain earring in his left ear.

Shawn wore soft, skin tight white leather pants, a black silk button down shirt and a matching white leather vest. He wore a heavy silver bracelet and his black cowboy boots were highly polished, with sliver toe tip covers and heel plates. He looked... elegantly beautiful.

The men found their voices and spoke at once. "So beautiful. Looking good. I want a dance." All flew at Shawn. He ducked his head, it felt good, he couldn't deny it.

"See, Sexy Boy, I told you." Hunter beamed proudly at his husband. Hunter looked equally handsome in tight black jeans and white button down with black accents like buttons and pocket flaps.

Tight jeans, button downs and well polished boots were the dress choice of the evening. The College Hill Ghost Hunters turned more than a few heads when after a short walk from the hotel, they walked into the pub.

A hostess in full Irish Colleen dress led the couples to a large, curved booth table in the corner of the pub. The booth was large, but they sat cozily close. Nobody minded, they were already lost in the lively music. A local band was playing.

After they placed their dinner order, they all headed for the dance floor. Everyone whooped and cheered when Shawn broke out in an Irish Jig. He danced like a native.

The next song was a slow, Irish ballad. Mark knew this was an opportunity he couldn't miss. He whispered to Wade. Wade nodded, but had a look of surprise on his face.

Mark walked up to Adam. "May I have this dance?" He gave a slight bow and held out his hand.

Adam's brow raised. "Okay." he Was taken back, Mark usually hated dancing. He took Mark's offered hand and let the Demonologist lead him onto the floor.

Roman was also surprised, but didn't mind. He asked Wade for a dance and the offer was accepted. The two couples began to dance.

At first, everything was fine. Just before the song ended, Adam placed his lips against Mark's ear. "He's mine and you can't do anything, Demon Hunter. No one will believe you, I'll make sure of it. You are nothing to me." The words were spoke in an almost dual tone, like two voices speaking at the same time with a split second between them.

Mark was stunned at the words. He roughly pulled Adam away from him so he could look Adam in the eye.

"Hey, not so rough, Mark." Adam was a bit annoyed at the rough handling as he frowned at Mark. His voice was perfectly normal.

Mark looked hard at Adam. Their leader looked and sounded normal. Had he actually heard the nearly demonic voice, or was his imagination getting to him? Adam was certainly fine now, and looking rather upset.

"Sorry, Adam. You stepped on my toe, I shouldn't have reacted like that. You're a great dancer. I'm the left footer. Come on, I'll buy you drink as an apology." Mark smiled and led Adam back to their table. Adam slid into the booth.

Mark went to the bar and ordered two Irish Stouts, he was joined by Evan. "Hey Squirt, you having fun?"

Evan looked at Mark, his eyes sparkled with excitement. "Yeah, it's nice to have fun like this. Chris is a fantastic dancer." He placed his order for two Irish Stouts as well.

"Evan, did you pick up on anything... strange with Adam?" Mark asked in a low voice.

Evan sipped his drink and held the other one. "No, I didn't... but... when Adam came over to the answer a question I had during analysis, both Chris' and my computers glitched something fierce. At first we thought we'd lost the data... Mark, it was the set you'd just passed to us, of you in the dungeon." He answered with a furrow of his brow and shrug.

Mark nodded and gave his chin a stroke. "It had a glitch in the data, maybe that was what you had. We'd better get back to the others, dancin' is thirsty work." The older man smiled. Mark tried to brush everything off, his imagination was getting too much control.

The wonderful evening continued and before the night was over, everyone had danced with each other. Adam behaved perfectly normal. Mark wasn't sure of what to do. Maybe it was time to talk to Roman. He decided to confront Adam's husband in the morning.

The ghost hunters were having a last round of non-alcoholic beverages. Mark leaned over to Roman. "Hey, Reigns, how about a run in the morning. We've been lazy lately." He gave the Parapsychologist a wink.

Roman gave a laugh. "Yeah, we have. Okay, how about a nice six o'clock five mile run?" Roman and Mark always ran at least three mornings per week. They hadn't been for a run since leaving Iowa.

Mark scoffed. "Lazy bum. I say ten." He gave Roman a glare of challenge.

Roman raised his hands in defeat. "Okay, Master. Ten it is. Adam, be ready to call 999." He joked with a sarcastic smirk on his face.

Adam laughed. "Don't worry. Hunter can give you emergency treatment. Don't wake _me_ up at six, I need my beauty sleep." He gently poked Roman in the ribs with his elbow.

With the band playing its final song, the College Hill Ghost Hunters walked backed tot he Country Arms Hotel. They laughed, joked and sang as they walked. It was a beautiful, moonlit, Irish summer midnight.

At the hotel the couples split up into their room groups and bid each other goodnight. Hot baths and showers were taken. It wasn't long before most of the couples were curled up together and drifted off to a well earned sleep. Tomorrow would be another long day in the conference room.

Mark and Wade were the only ones st ill awake. They had started out just taking a shower, but things got out of hand, and they enjoyed a round of shower sex. It wasn't often they had a shower large enough for the both of them.

Wade had already slipped into their bed. Mark came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and one in his hand as he towel dried his long, deep auburn hair.

Wade gave a yawn. "I'm with Adam, don't wake me in the morning either." He spoke through another yawn. He slid further down under the covers.

Mark gave a deep chuckle. "All right, my dear. You go to sleep, and I love you." He bent down and gave Wade's lips a kiss. He stood up an scrubbed his head again with the towel.

"Love you..." Wade muttered as his eyes fluttered shut. Their shower encounter had been intense, wonderful but intense. He was a sleep before Mark got back to the bathroom.

Mark stood in front of the mirror and brushed out his long hair. When it was wet, it fell to just below his shoulder blades. He began to part it in three plaits, to put it in is usual braid.

Mark's fingers deftly braided his hair into one long plait. He liked to braid it damp as it put a bit of life and body into his hair when it was dry. As he worked, his mind drifted to Adam. Was he just being crazy, or was something truly wrong with their leader.

When Mark looked back at the mirror, he had to swallow a yelp of fright. An older woman was standing next to him, at least in the mirror. He turned his head to look, but no one was there. When Mark's eyes flicked back to the mirror, she was still there, a desperate look clouded her face.

Mark just somehow knew, this was Adam's grandmother. He looked at the reflection. "It's Adam, isn't it?" He spoke in an almost silent whisper.

The old woman nodded sadly. _"Yes. I've tried to return to him, but I can't. Mark, Adam is in trouble. Please, help him."_ Her lips didn't move, but Mark heard her as plain as day.

"Ma'am, is he possessed?" Mark asked with a whisper laced anxiety. The anxiety changed to an eye opening fear.

Adam's grandmother nodded "Yes". Then, the reflection was gone.


	22. The Possession of Adam

Mark had to brace himself, his fear was now a confirmed reality. Adam was in very serious trouble and so potentially was the entire group. He wished Adam's grandmother had stayed, maybe she knew who or what had taken over Adam.

The Demonologist let out a sigh, he wasn't sure what to do. Did he tell? Did he confront Adam? This wasn't some stranger, this was a dear and beloved friend. Mark looked at his reflection in the mirror. There was nothing he could do at the moment. Mark let out another sigh.

Mark finished braiding his long hair with a rubber band at the end to hold it tight. He removed the towel from his waist. He hung it, along with with his hair towel on the towel rack. He turned off the bathroom light and walked naked, into the bedroom.

Calaway smiled, his beloved was sound asleep. He loved the way Wade looked, his face was soft and relaxed. Wade looked like a precious, almost fragile, angel. Mark knew Wade's gifts of Wizardry often wore him down. Sometimes he feared for Wade when he was casting, some of the spells were so draining.

Mark knew, if it came down to it, there were spells Wade could cast to help rid a demon from Adam, but they were deep, dangerous spells. Mark hoped it wouldn't come to that as he slipped into the bed with Wade. Mark was lucky, sleep quickly enveloped him as he closed his eyes.

Dressed in shorts and shirtless, Mark and Roman loped at an easy run down the country road. They were half way through their ten mile run. Sweat glistened on their bodies in the early morning sun.

Mark's mind had been on one thing since he woke up. At first, he wondered if his encounter with Adam's grandmother had been a dream or from one too many Irish Stouts. However, he'd only had two drinks, not nearly enough to be drunk.

They were nearing the far edges of the park across the road from the hotel. Mark pointed toward the park. Roman turned as Mark led the way. Mark also began to slow their pace, and by the time they got to a bench, they were at a walk.

Mark sat down on the bench. All the time thinking and he still didn't know what to say. How do you tell one of your best friends his husband is possibly and most likely possessed?

Both men panted a bit, as they sipped from the small bottles of water they carried. Roman poured the last half of his bottle over his head, it felt cool and refreshing.

Roman looked at Mark. He could tell his friend was highly stressed about something. "Mark, what's up? You and Wade fighting?" His left brow arched, his lip curled in question.

Mark smiled at his friends concern. "No, but I almost wish it was the simple. I just... fuck... Roman it's Adam... "He was immediately cut off by Roman.

"What do you mean, it's Adam? Mark?" Roman wasn't frantic but he was close. His eyes grew wide, his breaths came faster and new bead of sweat broke out on his forehead.

Mark laid a hand on Roman's bare shoulder. "There is no easy way to say this, so I will just... say it. Roman, I have reason to believe Adam is possessed. I don't know by what, just that he is..." Once again Roman interrupted Mark.

Roman's eyes desperately searched Mark's face. He looked for the impish grin that meant Mark was joking... it wasn't there. Roman's lips moved, but no sound came out of his mouth. Finally he managed to utter a single word. "What?" he blinked, almost robotically as he tried to take in Mark's statement about his husband.

Mark turned so he could face Roman better. "His grandmother came to me last night. She said she has tried to return to him, she said she couldn't. She asked me to help him. I asked if Adam was possessed, she nodded, then vanished..." He went on to tell Roman about all the incidents with Adam, starting at Leap Castle. He spoke slowly, firmly and directly to Roman.

"...So, I'm sure you were scratched to prove the point. Last night, while dancing, Adam... or rather the _thing_ inside him once again told me Adam was his. Roman, have you noticed _anything_? Anything at _all_?" Mark looked at Roman with deep lines of worry on his face.

Roman scrubbed his face with his hands. He let out the most gut wrenching cry of sheer agony Mark had ever heard in his life. Had he not been so strong, he would have cried. As it was, moisture gathered in his eyes, but no tears fell. He placed his hand on Roman's shoulder once again.

Roman grabbed Mark's hand like a child clinging to his mother's skirt. His eyes were pale gray, a sure sign he was distressed. Roman could hardly draw a breath to speak. He calmed slightly when Mark squeezed his hand.

"Okay... okay... I'm a fucking Doctor of Parapsychology, I _can't_ fall apart. Adam _needs_ me. I _have_ to be strong. I _am_ strong. Okay, who has him?" Roman managed to dig down to his core and pull himself together, he had to, his Adam was in danger.

Mark sipped the last of his water. He tossed the empty bottle into the rubbish bin next to the bench. "I honestly don't know. I don't think its any of Leap's known entities, they are too bound to the castle. I need to do some research. You need to _really_ study the data and I suggest you do it without Adam and don't let him know what you are doing. It may know, and that's why the data glitched. We need to figure out a way to tell the others without telling _it_ we know..." Mark let his words fade as he became lost in thought.

Roman was still trying to contemplate what had happened to his husband. How could he have failed Adam like that. It was his honor bound duty to always protect Adam. Adam was not only the love of his life, he was the heart and soul of their home. Adam was the light of his world. Roman knew he would be lost without the strong, yet quiet calm Adam gave him. Adam stood by him, even in times when he probably shouldn't have. He couldn't stop the hiccoughed sob that escaped over his lips.

Mark still held Roman's hand, as he rubbed Roman's shoulder with the other. He wasn't sure what he'd do if this was happening to Wade. It was easy when it was a stranger, but now he understood what a family really goes through when a loved one is possessed.

"We'll have to get back soon. I have a thought, I'll talk to Seth. He can come up with some technological reason to call today off. Take Adam out for lunch, a nice picnic, here. I'll tell the others. Okay?" Mark looked to Roman, it was the best idea he could come up with.

Roman slowly nodded. "Okay. Oh Mark, you and Wade need to work with Shawn. We have to save him, Mark, before it's too late." His eyes still held desperation as he plead with his friend.

Mark moved and gently took Roman by the shoulders. "Roman, listen to me; like you _never_ listened before. You _must not_ let Adam or what's got hold of him to know that you know. It will use any weakness it sees, and that can _not_ happen. Just try to forget you even know, at least for now." He looked Roman directly in the eye, he wanted Roman to understand what he was telling him.

Roman's eyes grew even wider as a thought came to his mind. "Jason. You will have to put a leash on him. Mark, he will go crazy with worry. How Mark? How do I... no... no... you're right. I'll do it, for Adam. We have to... I... love him... so fucking much..." he sniffed deeply, he could not break down.

"We will, Roman, we will. Be strong. Take a deep breath. We'd better take a fast sprint around the park, work our sweat back up. Ready?" Mark asked as he stood.

A bit later in the morning, the College Hill Ghost Hunters were waiting for Seth in the conference room. Other than Wade, Mark had only spoken to Seth. He wanted to tell the others, as a group. Mark knew they would need to lean on each other.

Seth came into the room, a sour look on his face. "Well folks, we have a day off. The Concierge just told me the Internet connections are out. The repairs will be made this afternoon. Good news is, they are giving us a free lunch. I suggested picnics. We can do what we want. This isn't _that_ bad, a day off will be good for us. So... that's it." He gave his hands a clap of finality.

Seth hadn't really lied, there was a problem, but just with one of the phones, but the repair truck in the parking lot would give credence to the story. He'd also arranged for the picnic lunch idea. He was terrified for Adam and would do what ever he had to do to help their leader.

"I think it's good, too. Like Seth said, we'll be refreshed for tomorrow. Hey Roman, how about a round of golf?" Hunter shot a hopeful glance towards the Islander.

Roman shook his head. "Sorry, Hunt. I'm going to take my beautiful husband for a picnic. I saw a perfect spot during our run this morning." He gave Adam a sly wink and love filled smile.

Adam grinned. "You'd turn down golf, for me? A picnic sounds wonderful. Sorry Hunter, he's ours today...err... mine" He shook his head with a laugh at his misspoken word..

No one noticed the glance Roman briefly exchanged with Mark. Little things were starting to now make sense.

Shawn laughed. "Sorry Doctor Helmsley, guess you're stuck with me. You're taking me on a picnic too." he leaned in and kissed Hunter's cheek.

Roman stood, he took Adam by the hand. "Come on, we're going for a hike too. The countryside is beautiful. I can't wait to spend the day, just with you." He gently pulled Adam to his feet and gave him a kiss.

Adam smiled. "You're wonderful, my Islander. I can't wait either, lets go..." He paused and turned to the others. "Well boys, enjoy a day off. I just hope we can continue in the morning. Now, I'm off to spend a wonderful day with my husband."

Roman wanted to hurry Adam out before the others so Mark could tell them. He bid everyone goodbye as did Adam. They left the conference room as Mark and Roman exchanged another glance. Mark shut the door after Roman and Adam had gone around the corner. He gave Seth a slight nod.

"I want you all to sit back down. I need to talk to you." Mark announced firmly. Seth went and sat next to Jason.

Every did as Mark asked,but looks of wonder and confusion passed between couples as they settled into hear what Mark had to say. Wade also knew and he knew the next few minutes would be some of the groups most difficult.

Mark paced the room. He'd bee thinking about exactly what to say. Wade advised there was no easy way and for Mark to just say it. Telling Roman had been one thing, but telling Adam's friends... he took a very deep breath and spoke.

"I don't exactly know how to say what I have to say... I have every reason to believe Adam is possessed..." He was interrupted by shocked gasps as his words sunk in,

Jason moved to stand, but Seth had been ready. He held Jason down by the shoulders. "And you let him leave? We have to stop him! Get him in here and get that thing out of him! What are you fucking waiting for! Let me go! Adam needs help, not going out on a picnic!" It took Heath, Seth and Dean to hold him down.

Mark sighed again. "Jason trust me. I understand. Roman knows, he's very aware, but I don't want what ever has a hold of Adam to know that we know. It hasn't fully manifested its self yet, and I don't want it to. I have no idea what we are up against. Seth and I will be going through the data in our room. Adam _must not_ know. I have reason to believe what ever is possessing him can mess with the data to keep its identity hidden. We will figure out what has Adam and we will get rid of it. We have some time, but not much..." Once again he was halted by Jason.

"How do you know? Maybe Adam isn't possessed!" Jason was still in shock and filled with thousands of questions.

"His grandmother, she came to me last night. She can't get to Adam, she's being blocked. She asked me to help him. Jason, you _have_ to get a hold of your self. You and Heath _must_ act normally, especially around Adam. It's a matter of importance." Mark looked hard at Jason.

Jason looked at Mark. His eyes were filled with unshed tears and fear. "How? How can I? Knowing some vile thing is infecting my best friend, no my brother... Mark?" Jason collapsed into Heath's arms, the only place he could find comfort. Seth stood back and left Jason to Heath's care, like it should be.

Mark softened his countenance and knelt next to Jason's chair. "I know, son. I know you and Adam are like brothers. That's _why_ you'll do this for him. As long as what has Adam thinks we don't know, it will only come toy with us. If it thinks we know, it will _use_ Adam and only bring him and us harm. That will be dangerous for Adam You _can_ do this Jason." He gave the distraught man a pat on the shoulder.

Jason looked at Mark. "Alright, I'll do it for Adam. So, what's next?" Determination over took the fear in his eyes. Jason squared himself and sat up. Heath looked at Jason with pride in his eyes.

Mark's shoulders slumped. "A lot of research. Like I told Roman, I'm fairly sure it isn't one of the entities from Leap, they are too grounded. However, it might be something summoned by the Leap elemental or the Priest. We all need to work together and somehow manage not to let the thing inside Adam know what we are doing. Shawn, we are going to need you. Wade will work with you. Evan..." He paused and turned to the youngest of their group.

Evan was in Chris' lap, his head rested on the older man's shoulder. His face was a mask of sadness. When Mark addressed him, he slid off Chris' lap and into his own chair. His attention was now totally on Mark.

"Now I think you understand why I told you to keep your mind bolted shut. You _must_ keep it shut. If what has Adam gets in, we could lose you, or it could use you. You may be tempted to help, but trust me, you are not ready for this. Hell, I barely am. Chris _don't_ leave his side. The entity _will_ know from Adam about Evan. It will try to use Evan or try to break into his empathic mind. So watch your boy. Evan, _do not_ get caught alone with Adam." Marks eyes burned with seriousness as he looked from Evan to Chris.

"What can I do to help?" Chris asked without hesitation. He hoped his research skills would be useful.

"Research... when I know what it is we're dealing with. That, and protect Evan." Mark gave the group historian a firm nod.

"Hunter, we may need your medical skills. Expect the worst, especially if it tries to fight us. Scratches, burns, maybe even bites. You've worked a possession before." Mark gave Hunter a look of knowing.

"I'll be ready." Hunter replied with confidence. However, he was still shocked. It was one of their own that was in trouble.

"Just remember, Adam must not know that we know. Seth, I want you to set up a meeting with Sheamus. We need to find out if he has come up against anything like this from Leap. Do it ASAP. Okay, that's it for now. Oh wait, there is one last thing. If you text each other or you get a text from me, read it, then delete it. Don't text Roman or of course, Adam anything about all this." Mark opened the door and herded everyone out of the room.

The members of the College Hill Ghost Hunters were numb with shock. Jason, Heath, Chris and Evan grabbed the two back packs the restaurant had filled for their picnic lunches. The two couples walked across the street to the "green" in the center of the park. Jason quickly scanned the area to make sure Adam and Roman weren't around. They wanted to be able to talk freely. He joined the others on the two large blankets they had spread out.

"I can't believe it... I just can't believe it." Jason sighed and sank down, cross-legged on the blanket. His elbows on his knees, head in his hands. Heath leaned over and rubbed Jason's back in supportive silence. Jason leaned over to Heath. Heath wrapped his husband in his arms.

"It will be alright, Jay. If anyone can help him, it's Mark, Wade and Shawn. Remember, we're the ones others call on to help possessed people. Everyone who's ever reached out to us, has been saved. Adam will be too." Heath spoke with utter conviction as he gently stroked Jason's temple.

Chris gave a firm nod. "Heath is absolutely right, Jason." His words were simple but he meant them.

Evan sat with his head in his hands. "I wish I could help. I could use my empathy to reach out to Adam, tell him to fight." He spoke with defeat. He let out a very long, very deep sigh. Chris reached over and rubbed Evan's back in support.

Jason's head flew up. "No, Evan. You _must not_ do that. Evan, we... you're one of us now... we love you, Squirt. Mark told you not to, he knows what he's talking about. There will come a day when you are strong enough to do more with your gifts. I watched Adam suffer while Bray taught him how to control his psychic abilities and it took years. It doesn't mean you are weak or useless. Take the time to learn and hone your skills. You're doing well with investigating. So let's stay together and positive for Adam." He spoke earnestly and determination still burned in his eyes.

Evan nodded. "Thanks, Jason. I will work my ass off to get my empathy under control. Yes, everything is for Adam now..." his words faded, there was nothing more he could really say.

Seth, Dean Wade and Mark had been invited to meet Sheamus in Tullamore. He was staying at a local farmhouse that doubled as a bed and breakfast. Sheamus frowned when he saw the faces of the four ghost hunters as they walked into the house.

"Hey fellas... Seth?" Sheamus' frown grew deeper. As they approached, it looked more serious than he thought. Something was horribly wrong.

"Not here, Shea. We need to go some place private." Seth spoke in a harried, low whisper. He didn't want to waste any time.

Sheamus rubbed his chin. "Come on, there's a river we can walk to in ten minutes." he led the four men out of the house and down a path around the back of the house.

Soon Sheamus had lead them to a small creek. There was a fallen tree for them to sit on. Seth stood and faced the others.

"Sheamus, we have a serious problem. Adam has been possessed..." Seth went on to give the Irishman the information about Adam. When he told all he knew, Seth sat down and Mark stood up.

Mark further explained what happened while in the oubliette of Leap Castle. He also told about Adam's grandmother. Lastly, he told about the data glitch during yesterdays analysis.

"So, I think what ever has him, can block us finding out anything. We aren't letting on to Adam that we know. So far, it hasn't fully manifested itself. Adam is still Adam, but things slip once in a while. It knows what I am. We need to know, have you encountered anything like this before from Leap?" Mark spoke low and serious, and his gaze was levelled directly at Sheamus.

Sheamus let out a long sigh. "I was afraid something would happen. I promised Adam I wouldn't tell, but, now I must. Remember the Banshee encounter, when we stopped for protection? Adam saw her, and she was washing a shirt like the one he was wearing. It probably started then, and without his grandmother's spirit, he was wide open. The Leap spirits would never leave. People have been jumped, but once they get outside the castle grounds the spirit leaves. So, either the Banshee cursed him and a stray spirit got him, or the elemental sent something to him. I would guess more the later. That elemental is evil, the purest evil. It might also explain why you didn't get much from the castle entities. The elemental kept them away. Had he been there, the Monk would have stopped it. He tried to appear, but couldn't... now the investigation makes sense. Oh Seth, fella, if I had known... I would have never asked you to come here. I feel so responsible." Sheamus buried his head in his hands and nearly scrubbed off his beard in guilt ridden frustration.

Mark took a step forward. He pushed Sheamus' hands away from his face. Mark took the ginger bearded chin in his hand and made Sheamus look up at him.

"Stop it. There is absolutely no way this is anyone's fault, not yours, not Seth's. We are in a dangerous line of work. People may scoff or laugh, but they haven't seen what a demon can do. I've seen desperate loved ones watch a demon control their child, mother, sister, brother or father. We knew the risks and we know the risks every time we take on an investigation. Hell, Adam was jumped at a simple, one room haunting. We need to focus on helping Adam, not waste time blaming. Sheamus is there is chance the Priest could tell us anything?" Mark let go of Sheamus' chin and softened. His brow was cocked in question.

Sheamus perked up. "I could try. I can get my buddy Drew to help. He's part of our team in Scotland. He's coming to get some equipment tomorrow. We can go to Leap almost at will. I'm sure Sean won't mind. Drew won't say anything. Remember, Seth you met him once when he came to Iowa for the summer." Sheamus looked expectantly at Seth.

"Oh yeah. Tall, lean, long hair, rather quiet guy. But shouldn't one of us go with you?" Seth looked from Sheamus to Mark. His whole face was etched in question.

Sheamus spoke first. "No, I think your group should stay well away. I only mean it's because the spirits at Leap know us, they trust us, I suppose, if a spirit _can_ trust. Thing is, do _you_ trust me, to do this for Adam?" He looked at the College Hill Ghost Hunters anxiously.

Seth nodded so hard he looked like he had a broken neck. "Of course we trust you Shea." He gave his friend a hug and kissed his temple.

Mark, too nodded. "I agree with Seth, we _do_ trust you. I want to go back and try to watch the data from the oubliette again. I'll get word to you after, let you know if I find out anything. Just remember, Adam must not know what we are doing. Sheamus be damn careful when you and your friend go to Leap. Oh and if you can, try to find out why this happened. I guess that's all. We need to get back. I want to get to that data." His voice had a tone of finality.

The five men walked back to the Bed and Breakfast. They bid Sheamus farewell and drove back to the Country Arms Hotel. Jason, Heath, Chris and Evan were just returning from their time at the park.

Jason ran over to Mark, Wade, Seth and Dean. "So, did you find out anything?" He asked in a breathy pant.

Mark looked around to make sure Adam and Roman weren't around. "Yes, sort of, but not here. Lets go to our suite. I hope Shawn and Hunter are available." He waved his hand toward the entrance to the hotel.

Fifteen minutes later, all the members of the College Hill Ghost Hunters, with the exception of Adam and Roman were together. Between Seth and Mark, the others were informed about the meeting with Sheamus, including what the Irishman had said about Adam's encounter with the Banshee.

Mark concluded. "... so, Sheamus and this Drew fellow are going to go back to Leap to see if the Priest or other spirits will give information about what has a hold of Adam. I want to start on the data as soon as possible. It will be up to you to keep Adam occupied. And, I'll say it one last time, Adam _must not_ know."

Jason let out an anguish filled cry. "We should have _never_ come here! Why? Why Adam?" He bit back the tears he'd been holding in. He wasn't going to cry, not here and not now.

Heath took Jason into his arms again. He hated there was nothing he could do to ease his husband's suffering. He couldn't imagine the agony Jason must be going through. Heath knew Jason had protected Adam when they were children, it was partly why Jason had become a policeman, to help protect people from harm. But, this wasn't some bully teasing Adam about his psychic gifts. It wasn't some criminal that could be handcuffed and thrown in jail. Heath understood how helpless Jason felt. He'd felt it many times while Jason was at work.

Shawn knelt at Jason's feet. He took the policeman's hands in his. "No, Jason. We were supposed to be here, we were meant to be here. Maybe we have to go through this now, so we can face something further down the road. Maybe it's something Adam has to go through. Maybe we are all being tested. We have to stay calm and together. Jason? For Adam?" The Preacher spoke calmly and wisely.

Wade sighed. "I don't normally agree, but Shawn is right. I have a feeling we're being tested. Why, I don't know. We are often tested. Now, we need to get to the data, talking isn't helping." He didn't want to offend Shawn, but sometimes the religion was just too much.

"He's right. Seth, Wade and I will run the data. Dean, your job is to make sure Adam doesn't burst in on us. The rest of you, help Roman keep Adam occupied. Let's get to it." Mark gave his hands a sharp clap, he was more than ready to get started.

The group went into action. Heath took Jason in to the hotel restaurant for a good hot cup of tea. He knew Adam would know something was up if he saw Jason right now.

Chris and Evan were in their suite with the Helmsley's. Evan stood at the large window and looked out over the park. Chris came up behind Evan and wrapped his boy in his arms. He kissed Evan's temple.

"Adam will be alright, baby boy. Don't fret. Mark, Wade and Shawn will figure this out." He whispered in Evan's ear. Evan smiled, Chris' warm breath and strong arms made him feel so safe, and so loved. Evan spun in Chris' arms to face him. He looked into Chris clear, blue eyes. The eyes looked at him with absolute love and adoration. Evan melted into Chris.

Shawn looked at the couple with a soft smile. He and Hunter were curled up on the sofa, trying to think of ways to keep Adam busy. He leaned in to whisper in Hunter's ear.

"Chris looks so content. Evan was a sent blessing. Chris said he is terrified something like this could happen to Evan. I suppose he has good reason. Oh Hunter, you never think it's going to happen to one of our own." Shawn laid his head on Hunter's shoulder with a sigh.

Hunter stroked Shawn's silken hair. "Yes, he was. Evan is perfect for Chris. I have the same worry about you. I hate it when you have to do exorcisms or deal with demons. But, it's what you're called to do. Roman must be in hell right now. It's scary enough when Adam gets jumped. What I don't get is, all that protection, how could a spirit, evil or good possess Adam?"

Shawn shrugged. "The protection can't stop it, it can only … warn I guess is the best way to put it. Maybe if we didn't have protection, it would have fully taken him over immediately. I don't know, funny, I never see to have any solid, defined answers, but that's what faith is... isn't it?" He looked at his husband with real doubt in his eyes; a near desperate doubt.

Hunter had never see Shawn's question his faith, doubt it sometimes, yes, but never question. "Baby, don't. Your faith is so strong. It's as much a part of you as your beautiful soul. You spoke so eloquently to Jason earlier. You saw how he calmed down, became determined to help Adam. Don't question yourself or your faith. I depend on your faith to get me through my darker days. Just lean on me Shawnnie, I'll hold you up." He gave Shawn a soft, loved filled kiss.

Shawn, like Evan melted into his beloved. Both Shawn and Evan drew strength and courage from the men that loved him.

As the day progressed, the couples slowly regathered in the downstairs suite. All but Roman and Adam, who seemed to have vanished.

Mark, Wade and Seth had locked themselves away in the bedroom occupied by Mark and Wade. Dean explained that they had not come out for the last three hours.

Jason looked at Dean. "Have you seen Roman or Adam?" He looked at his watch with a worried glance.

Dean shook his head. "No, come to think of it, I haven't. I've had my eye in the spy hole most of the time. I can see the hallway plainly. I had to piss a couple of times but..." His voice trailed off. He'd suddenly realized just how much time had actually passed since the Reigns' were last seen.

"Jason, why don't you text Roman?" Heath suggested in a helpful tone with wide eyed concern.

No one disapproved so Jason pulled out his phone. At the time they bought them, he thought the expensive, "call from anywhere" satellite add on was a waste, but over time it had more than proven it's worth. He quickly typed out a message.

" _Ro, are you guys OK? Been gone too long. J"_ He hit send. The phone showed conformation the message had been sent. Twenty-five, long, agonizing minutes later, the phone indicated that the message had been read.

Jason nearly wore a hole in the carpet as they waited for a reply. Hunter and Chris played Rummy to keep busy. Shawn, Evan and Heath sat in the living room area, drank tea and talked quietly. Dean was glued to the "fish eye" in the door that allowed him to look out into the hallway. The bedroom door where Mark, Wade and Seth were working remained shut.

The tension was thick and only grew thicker as time passed. The only sound in the room was the occasional shuffle of the cards, or the clink of a tea cup.

Because of the near silence in the room the buzz from Jason's phone was so loud, Chris flung the cards into the air as he shuffled, and Heath's tea cup shattered when he dropped it.

Jason pulled his phone from his pocket as fast as he could draw his police weapon. He looked at the three word message. _"PARKING LOT, NOW!"_

"Oh, holy fucking shit. Parking lot, now! Get Wade!" Jason yelled with bug eyed panic as he spun around to speak to the group.

He yelled loud enough that the bedroom door flew open. Wade exchanged a fast glance with Hunter. The physician patted his pocket with a nod. The College Hill Ghost Hunters dashed out of the room and headed for the parking lot.

When they got to the parking lot, they stopped short. Roman was covered in bloody scratches, his shirt was nearly ripped to shreds, there was also a long rip in his jeans.

The most shocking part, he held Adam with his arms pinned behind his back. However, the man Roman held like a prisoner in his arms, barely resembled their beloved leader.

Adam's eyes appeared black and had sunken in. He snarled and gnashed his teeth and the guttural growls that passed over his lips were laced with the most vile words a man could utter. His long hair was dishevelled, his skin was so pale it was nearly translucent his veins were all clearly visible. His fingers curled like claws.

Roman could barely hold his husband, sweat mixed with blood and ran down his face along with a few tears. .

Mark nodded to Hunter. The Physician pulled a hypodermic needle from his pocket, it was filled with a yellowish liquid. Hunter jabbed the needle into Adam's upper arm. It took a few minutes, but Adam eventually went limp in Roman's arms.

Adam was fully possessed.


	23. Adam's Soul in Peril

Roman slowly sank to his knees to keep Adam from falling to the ground. "What did you do?" Roman cried out as he looked up at Hunter.

Hunter put the protective cap back over the needle and put it in his pocket. "Harmless, but extremely strong sedative. It won't hurt him, I promise. Mark and I decided to take the precaution, just in case and I _won't_ apologize. We need to get you inside. You all, go distract the desk clerk, now!" Hunter barked sharply. Shawn led the way. Heath had to pull Jason by the sleeve, but he followed.

Mark gently picked Adam up in his arms as Hunter helped Roman to his feet. They went into the hotel. The others had completely blocked the entrance from the clerk. They managed to get Adam and Roman into the first floor suite. It was easier than trying to get Adam upstairs.

Mark carried Adam into the room he shared with Wade. He laid Adam on the bed. "I hate to say this, but we're going to have to restrain him." Mark looked sternly at Roman. Hunter had made the Islander sit in the comfortable over stuffed chair in the corner.

Roman let out a whimper. "My... poor baby..." He muttered like a robot. He didn't even flinch when Hunter dabbed his scratches with antibiotic soaked cotton. The scratches, thankfully weren't deep.

"Mark, in the gray bag in the tote. I keep them handy since that one possession we worked. Roman, he won't be harmed, I swear it. It's for his own safety as well as our own." He spoke as gently as he could as Roman teetered on the brink of shock.

Roman watched with a broken heart as Mark put Adam in the lamb wool lined restraints. He buckled Adam's arms by the wrists and his legs by the ankle to the four posters of the bed.

Adam was deeply sedated, but his breath came in animal like pants. Hunter searched in his bag. He'd finished cleaning Roman's facial scratches and now worked on the ones Adam had created on Roman's arms, chest and legs.

The door opened and Shawn stepped into the room. He had a small bottle in his hand. Hunter looked at his husband. "Please, take his vitals." The Physician nodded to his bag.

Shawn nodded silently, his face was a mask of pure sadness. Before he did anything medical, he did something religious. The bottle was filled with Holy Water. Sadly he knew from previous experience what needed to be done. He carefully soaked the leather bindings, to in a way, seal them. Shawn was extremely careful not to get any of the blessed water on Adam's skin as it would probably cause it to burn.

The burn of the Holy Water depended on many things. The type of demon, how deeply the victim was possessed and other factors. The burn could be no worse than a slight scalding to horrible, blistering wounds. Shawn didn't want to risk it until they knew more about what had a hold of Adam.

Roman's eyes were glued on his husband. The Islander wept openly and no one could blame him. The tears dripped down and spread over Roman's beard. He sniffed occasionally as he watched Shawn take his husband's vital signs.

Shawn wrote down the readings in the notebook Hunter always kept. "His breathing is elevated, but everything else is normal, no fever. He's comfortable as can be, Roman..." Shawn paused and moved to sit on the footstool Hunter had just abandoned. The Physician had gone to check on Adam after finishing Roman's treatment.

Shawn held one of Roman's hands. He gently turned Roman's head by the chin so he could look the distraught man in the eyes. He spoke softly.

"That is _not_ Adam right now, you know that. Yes, it's Adam's physical body, but the Adam you know and love has been hidden from you. You must remember this when the demon is awake. You've seen this before, remember that as well. Also remember, no one we've helped has ever died or been physically harmed permanently. You know we'll take the best possible care of him. We love Adam too, you know. You boys are like sons to us, you know this, you know we love both of you. Roman, you _must_ let us do what we need to do to get our Adam back. If we ask you to leave, don't fight us. It would be detrimental for the part of Adam that _is_ still aware, to see you falling apart. It's just like the other cases we've dealt with. You've sat with many people in the same position you're in now. Roman, sweetheart, are you hearing me?" Shawn gave Roman's hand a squeeze. He wasn't sure where Roman's head was.

Roman blinked slowly. "They weren't my Viking." He muttered as he turned his head and once again looked at Adam. He let out another whimper as he saw the man he loved, strapped the bed like an animal. Shawn stayed on his seat and held Roman's hand. He wasn't about to abandon Roman now.

Mark waited for Hunter to finish writing in his notebook. When the Doctor finished, he caught Hunter's eye and nodded to the corner of the room. Hunter gave Adam's cheek a gentle caress and went to speak to Mark.

Mark whispered low. "It was as I thought. The demon knew exactly what we were doing, it _did_ glitch the data. We know the attack on Roman happened right after it appeared to me. We could follow a strange glitch in the cameras, it went right from me, to Roman, downstairs to Adam. Bad thing, still no idea where it came from or what kind of demon. Is he up to being questioned?" His brow arched as he looked at Hunter.

Hunter glanced over at Roman and frowned. "Let me get some sugared tea into him. He's close to going into shock. I'll get him out to the others, he needs to feel their support. Give him and hour. I don't want him to see me hooking up the IV, but Adam needs to stay hydrated and unfortunately, sedated..." he paused and turned to Shawn.

"Shawnnie, come here a minute, please." Hunter crooked his finger at his husband. Shawn bit his lip, but hurried over to Hunter as he kept one eye on Roman.

"Take him out for an hour or so. Make him a cup of hot tea loaded with sugar. I need to start an IV, and Roman doesn't need to see it. Don't let anyone pepper him with questions. Love you, babe." He whispered low and gave Shawn a gentle kiss.

"Alright. He does need to be with the others. I won't let them question him at all. Take care of our boy." Shawn gave Hunter a weak smile.

Shawn went back over to Roman. "Come on, you need a cup of tea. Adam needs to sleep. Roman?" Shawn stood in front of the Islander, who stared at Adam.

"Not leaving him." Roman spoke like a broken toy. He glanced up at Shawn.

Shawn sighed internally. He prayed for the right words. "Roman, you need the tea, if you go into shock, you won't be able to help Adam. Jason needs you. He needs to see that you are strong. Just have a good cup of tea, get some strength, then you can come back. If anything happens, Hunter will come get you. Please Roman, Adam would want it."

Roman looked at Shawn. "Alright." He stood up and walked over to Adam. He bent down over Adam's restrained form. He gently brushed a strand of blond hair from Adam's face. He bent down further and tenderly kissed Adam's cheek.

"I love you, my Viking. Baby, I know you're in there, somewhere, fighting. You can do it, stay with me. Fight it, just fight it." Roman whispered in Adam's ear. A tear ran down his cheek and stained Adam's pillow. With a deep sniff, he reluctantly followed Shawn out of the room. He knew Shawn was right, but he hated to leave his Adam. He gave his husband a last, sad look, then closed the door behind him.

When Roman and Shawn entered the living room, Wade had just finished whispering to the group. He'd told them Mark had sent a text that said Roman was on his way and not to question him. Everyone nodded and looked up. Shawn led a robotic Roman to one of the chairs in the living room area. Shawn then went to make a cup of tea.

Jason immediately went to Roman. He sat on the footstool next to chair. "We'll get him back, Ro." He gave Roman's knee a pat.

Roman nodded. He was shirtless and his ripped jeans were blood stained. He stared at his hands in his lap. "Cold" Roman gave a shiver. He took the cup of steaming hot tea heavily laced with sugar, Shawn had brought to him.

Jason turned and looked at Heath. Heath gave his husband a knowing smile. The red head got up and left the hotel room. A few minutes later, Heath returned with a clean shirt and a pair of sweat pants for Roman. Roman managed to thank Heath. He put on the shirt and changed out of his torn jeans, not caring who saw, after all everything was covered. He sat back down and at least he didn't feel quite so cold.

No one knew what to say. So, rather than saying stupid, meaningless things, they sat with Roman in silent support. Evan hadn't let go of Chris since seeing Adam in the parking lot, as they sat on the sofa. Dean just stood, staring out of the window. Seth sat with his eyes closed next to Evan on the sofa.

Wade was reading from a book that looked to be a rather ancient, leather bound tome with a silver buckled strap. It had beautiful illuminated art work on some of the pages. It was written in ancient Latin. He sat in the other chair, next to Roman.

Heath stood behind Wade, he couldn't help but glance down at the book. The colorful drawing was of a horrible looking demon devouring the soul of its victim. The drawing made Heath shudder, if that was happening to Adam... it hurt his own soul.

Heath realized he couldn't read the text. "Wade, what is that book about?"

Wade hadn't realized Heath was behind him. He turned his head to look up at Heath. "Something that might help and enlighten us." He cast his eyes toward Roman. He didn't want to talk about it in front of him.

Heath understood. "Okay" he moved to go sit on the floor by Jason's footstool. Jason still had his hand on Roman's knee. Heath leaned against Jason's leg with his head against Jason's thigh. Roman sipped his sugary tea in silence.

Shawn was surprised no one was peppering Roman with questions, but glad for it. He was in the kitchen area of the suite, making more tea. Shawn looked up when a bleary eyed Wade joined him. "I need a cuppa that, please?" Wade asked as Shawn filled the tea pot with boiling water.

"Sure thing, Wade. I'm surprised everyone is so... quiet." Shawn stated his thoughts as they waited for the tea to steep in the boiling water.

"Mark sent a text, told us not to question Roman. That's what I was talking about when you walked in with Roman. I'm glad I brought some of my books, but that one I am reading now, was in with the things from Uncle William. It's like he had a clue... it's about ancient demons of Britannia, Eire, and Scotland. I just wish my ancient Latin was better, it's slow going." Wade rubbed his eyes as he spoke to the preacher.

"Sorry I can't help. I can handle some modern Latin and Hebrew, but..." Shawn paused and poured Wade a cup of tea, then continued. "I'll do whatever I can to help, you know that." He handed the cup to Wade.

Wade sipped and nodded in approval. "Perfect, thanks. I know, Shawn. I'm worried about this one. Ancient demons are... different. They didn't get to be ancient for no reason. I hope Sheamus finds something to help." Wade sighed took his cup and went back to the chair and his book.

Shawn put the fresh pot of tea on the coffee table in the living room. He sat on the floor cross-legged. His prayers went to Adam and Roman. He prayed they would _all_ make it through this.

All eyes flicked to the bedroom door as it opened. Hunter stepped into the room. Shawn started to get up, but Hunter indicated for him to stay seated. The Physician poured a cup of tea and with a grunt, sat on the floor next to his husband.

Roman looked at Hunter. "Adam?" he asked in a less robotic, more emotion filled voice. The sugar had helped keep him from going into shock and he was feeling better or at least... feeling.

Hunter swallowed the sip of tea he'd taken. "Resting comfortably. Roman, don't be shocked when you go back in to him. I've hooked him up to an IV to keep him hydrated. It also contains a mild sedative. Mark and I agree, it's best to try to _keep_ him sedated as long as possible. It will hopefully prevent what has got him from getting worse. Mark told me Sheamus is going to Leap..." He was interrupted by Jason.

"When? I'm going with him. I'll find out what the fuck has Adam so help me God." Jason spat as he spoke through gritted teeth. His eyes burned with anger, and his fists were tightly balled up.

Seth spoke up. "No, Jason, you can't..." he was almost interrupted by Jason, but he raised his hand to ask Jason to wait at the same time Heath placed a hand on his husband's shoulder. Seth continued. He explained about Sheamus going back to Leap.

Everyone was surprised when Roman spoke up. "Makes good sense. He shouldn't go alone though, even if the spirits to know him." He sounded almost like his old Parapsychologist self.

"He's not. His friend Drew is down from Scotland, he's going with Shea. Drew is cool, I met him when he came to visit Shea during college. Anyway, maybe the Priest will help." Seth finished with a sip of tea.

Eyes again turned to the bedroom door as Mark came into the living room. The Demonologist went to the balcony door and opened it. He pulled out a cigar, bit the tip and spat it out then lit the cigar.

"Adam is resting. I set up a motion detector so we'll know if he wakes up. Roman, are you ready to tell us what happened? You don't have to, it's up to you." Mark's words came through a haze of blue gray cigar smoke.

Roman looked at Mark, then the others. The last person he looked at was Jason. He could see the pain of worry in Jason's eyes and etched on his face. Roman thought he probably had the same look on _his_ face.

Roman nodded. "Good... oh... it was... awful..." He faded off, not sure if he was ready to tell what happened.

Once again he looked at each one of his friends. Their eyes were _all_ filled with worry. Roman knew these ten men were the best friends he and Adam could ever have wished for. Roman also knew if and when things got tough, not _one_ of them would turn and run. He owed them and he needed to tell about what happened, he sighed deeply.

"Before I tell you what happened, I want to thank you. Even though he can't say it right now, we both love all of you very much. I know... no matter... what... you... won't... abandon... us." Roman started out confident, but as he thought of his beautiful, sweet, loving husband, his voice became broken with emotion and fresh tears slowly dripped into his beard.

Dean turned, he hadn't spoken for a couple of hours. He also spoke in a husky, broken voice. "I love you guys. You both stood by me when I needed someone to have a bit of faith in me. We ain't goin' anywhere, Roman." He turned back to the window, he didn't want anyone to see him cry.

Seth got up and went to his man and wrapped his arm around Dean's waist. He rested his chin on Dean's shoulder. He didn't speak, he didn't need to.

Roman swiped his eyes with the back of his hand, took his last sip of tea. With a clink, he set the cup in the saucer and placed it on the coffee table.

"We picked up our backpacks from the restaurant and went over to the park. Adam was fine. We laughed and joked, carried on like newlyweds. We held hands, stole kisses, it was wonderful. I even began to think perhaps we were wrong. We hiked up into those hills behind the park. There was a small stream with a perfect spot of lush, green grass in the middle of a ring of flowers. We spread out the blanket, laid out the food and had lunch. We fed each other, sipped a glass of wine together, again, it was so beautiful... so... perfect..." Roman had to pause before he broke again.

Both Mark and Wade listened intently. Mark glanced at Wade as a puff of smoke passed over his lips and twisted as a slight breeze captured it. Wade gave Mark a return look of knowing. Wade opened the old book again, he found the drawing he looked for. He held the book out to Roman.

"Roman, did the place look anything like this?" The illuminated artwork on the page, at first glance, looked like a pretty spot near a stream. A man lay in the middle of a ring of flowers on a patch of deep green grass. The man appeared to be sleeping peacefully.

Roman looked at the colorful drawing. It was almost as if the artist had drawn the very place he'd spent such a wonderful time with Adam. Even the man in the picture looked slightly like Adam. The sleeping man was lithe, but muscular, and he had long, flowing blond hair. The image actually made Roman tremble, it was too eerie, too much like Adam. He looked at Wade.

"Yes, it did... and that... that could almost be... Adam. Wade? What?" Roman's eyes narrowed when he saw the expression on Wade's face change when he confirmed the Wizard's question.

Wade's whole body seemed to sink. His face grew extremely grim. His fingers toyed with a page in the book. He really didn't want to turn the page, it was clearly written on his face.

Roman nodded to the book "Turn the page, Wade... I... need... to know." He reached over and touched Wade's hand. He felt the tremble coursing through Wade's body.

Wade glanced up at Mark, a near desperate look in his eyes. Mark tossed away the stub of his cigar. He walked over to his future husband. "He has a right to see it, Wade. We aren't sure, but until we hear from Sheamus..." He let his words fade. He'd seen the picture on the next page, he wished he hadn't.

"Roman, just remember, we don't know for sure..." Wade whispered. With a sigh, he turned the page.

At first glance, the picture was nearly identical to the previous one. However, the surrounding flowers had small figures among them. They weren't the beautiful faeries most people pictured, they were hideous, vile looking creatures... they were _true_ faeries. Their long teeth seemed to want to gnash the flesh of the sleeping man. Some were coming out of the flowers to attack.

Roman let out a cross between a whimper and a cry of anguish. "It... I should have... I took him there... oh... my baby... my poor, poor baby..." Roman put his face in his hands, his whole body shook as he sobbed. Both Jason and Heath hugged Roman and tried to give him comfort.

Wade had placed the book on the coffee table. Evan looked at the two pictures in the book. "What _is_ that place?" He looked at the others with question filled eyes.

Chris answered his boy. "It's a faerie ring, baby. Most people have the idea that faeries are like... um... Tinkerbell... but they are _not_. Faeries are really vile, mean, horrible creatures. They will attack people who invade their ring. If they could sense what was in Adam, they probably woke it up, so to speak. People shouldn't be so quick to dismiss folklore and legends." Chris sighed as he finished.

Wade nodded. "Chris is exactly right. People tend to forget, _all_ legends begin with a truth. If people would only open their eyes, they would realize the... other world _does_ exist. You've learned that haven't you, Jason. I remember when you thought it was all... hokum. Now you know spirits exist. You're still a skeptic, and that's good, you can debunk what needs debunking. I don't know if this happened, but... well, _can_ you tell us what happened, Roman?" He wanted to hear the rest of the story.

Roman sniffed deeply and wiped his eye with his sleeve. "Well... Adam was lying with his head in my lap. I was lying down as well, eyes closed, just soaking in the sun and listening to nature. We or at least I must have drifted off to sleep. I heard Adam scream, 'get away from me'. That woke me up. I sat up. Adam was sitting cross-legged with his back to me. I called out to him... when... he was... my beautiful baby boy was... gone... he... growled like... an animal... and jumped on me... he started clawing at me. His eyes were as black as midnight... his skin... you've seen it... you can see his veins. He spat vile things, but the one I remember most... 'He's mine now, you shall never see Adam again'... and then... _it_... laughed. Oh dear God, it was the most horrible, demonic laugh... I had to... oh... God... I hit him... I hit my own husband... I hurt him... I'm... terrible... I hit... my … Adam..." He sobbed like he'd never sobbed before. He sobbed so hard the very chair shook.

Jason placed his hands on Roman's shoulders. "No, it wasn't Adam, at that time, it was not Adam. You did what had to be done. It could have really hurt you, or Adam. It was _**not**_ Adam." He spoke firmly. He hoped he made sense. What ever had happened, it wasn't Adam.

"Jason is right, Roman. It wasn't Adam. You did what you had to do to protect you both. How did you ever manage to get him back here?" Heath asked as he too tried to comfort Roman.

Roman spoke through his hands. "I knocked him out! My God, I knocked Adam out! I... I carried him... I was sending you a text to tell you to come help me and he started to wake up. I managed to keep hold of him... I don't care how you say it, I punched my own husband! I … can't... live... with that... I hurt him... I broke my promise..." Roman's sobs increased as spoke of what he had done.

Evan stood up and went to Roman. "Stop it. I've been hit in anger, you weren't angry when you hit Adam. You hit him because you feared for his safety, that was out of love. Should you have let him continue to hurt you, and himself? Trust me, Roman... If I was in the place Adam was, I hope to God Chris would do what ever he had to do to stop me, because he loves me. You promised to protect him; well you did. Now he can get the help he needs. What if he'd gotten away? He could have hurt others, or done something to hurt himself. He could still be out there, in that condition, lost from any help, away from those that love him. Would you rather that? So just pull yourself together and know you did the _right_ thing." Evan's eyes blazed, his breath came in hard pants. He hoped he got through to Roman.

Roman swiped his eyes again. He looked up at the youngest member of the group. Roman saw the conviction on Evan's face. He rubbed his own face. "Maybe... you're right. I was so... scared... it was Adam's body, but it wasn't Adam. I don't know... I just knew I wasn't about to let him get away. Thanks Evan. I still feel terrible about hitting him, but you put it into perspective. Chris, you hang on to Evan, he's a winner." He managed to flash Evan a half smile.

Chris planted a kiss on Evan's cheek. "You are a winner, baby boy. Thank you, you really helped. I can't imagine what Roman is going through. Oh baby... Adam... so... awful..." He paused and had a sudden thought. Chris looked at the group. "Has anyone told Bray? I think he has right to know..." his words trailed off as he thought about Adam and how horrible he looked.

Roman's head shot up. " _Has_ anyone told Bray? Chris is right, he should know." He looked at the others with wide eyes. His cheeks were still stained with tears.

Shawn stood. "You're right. I'll go call him right now. I'll go outside.. just in case something breaks loose in here." He pulled out his phone.

Hunter got up. "I'm going with him. No one should be alone. If... well, come get me. We won't be gone that long." He spoke the men but he looked at Mark. Mark gave a slight nod as he puffed on a fresh cigar.

Roman asked Heath for another cup of heavily sugared tea. Heath did as Roman requested. Roman rubbed his eyes. "I can't believe this is happening. Those drawings... Wade... tell me?" He looked at the Wizard.

Wade closed the old, leather bound tome. "It just tells the truth about faeries. They are kin to elementals, so maybe that's why they woke up what has Adam. I hope Sheamus can find out something..." he paused and looked at Roman. He could see the man was searching for some kind of explanation.

"Roman, Mark and I have a theory about how it happened. When Adam was first hit, on the balcony, the elemental weakened him. Then, it sent some other demon or elemental to take Adam. The question is, why and that is what we need to know. Mark, Sheamus and I believe it's not an actual spirit from Leap. Sheamus too, feels those spirits are too grounded to the castle. So, they call upon others to come. If Adam's grandmother could only get through." He sighed and leaned back in his chair.

Mark took a deep puff on his cigar. "Well said. It's so fucking frustrating. I'd like to watch Sheamus... wait... Seth?" He cast a look at the groups computer technician.

"Fuck me! I should have thought of that! Calaway, you're a genius. I'll call Sheamus..." Seth got up and practically ran to his and Dean's bedroom.

Nearly everyone else stared at Seth like the demon was now chasing him. Dean got up and quickly followed his lover, unsure of what had just happened.

Roman looked over at Mark. He was so excited he nearly spilled his tea. The Islander had a real smile on his face. "Seth is right, you _are_ a genius."

Jason looked from Roman to Heath. Heath shrugged at his husband. "I know Mark is smart, but what are we missing?" He looked again at Roman, brow raised.

Roman gave Jason a soft smile. "Live feed. We want to be with Sheamus when he goes to Leap, right? Well, if Seth can do it, we can be. A live camera feed. If anyone can figure it out, it's Seth. Mark, have a cup of tea on me." He leaned forward and poured the Demonologist a cup of steaming, hot tea.

Mark had a very slight tinge of flush on his cheeks as he took the cup of tea. "I'm sure Seth would have thought of it. He's the real genius. I hope it works. Wade, my dearest, keep reading. Perhaps your Uncle's book will tell you more. I still can't believe he just happened to send that volume. Would he be willing to come help... if needed?" He looked at his fiancé with a curious gleam in his eye.

Wade gave a shrug. He looked at Mark with a frown. "Perhaps... he is the head of the family. He is willing to communicate with me. If I explained the situation..." he was halted as the Helmsley's returned.

The couple were having a rather heated discussion. Shawn spun on Hunter and whispered through gritted teeth. "I _did_ tell him. You were _standing_ there when I said it. Hunter, I tried, what more can I say?" His hands flew up in frustration.

Hunter sighed and also spoke in a whisper. "I know, I know. I'm sorry, honey." He pulled Shawn into his arms.

"Now what?" Chris asked as he held Evan in his arms. Evan's head rested on his shoulder.

Hunter walked over and sat down on the couch, Shawn by his side. "Bray is catching the next plane to Dublin. One of us will have to go pick him up. He'll call with the flight details. He's really upset. We told him, or rather Shawn told him, not to come, that we could handle it. He went ballistic apparently." Hunter looked at Shawn. He wasn't mad at Shawn, but at Bray. He'd said some rather nasty things to Shawn.

Roman looked at the older couple. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. He's the closest thing to a dad Adam has ever known. I _know_ how you guys feel, we love you as parents, but Bray has been in Adam's life since he was eleven years old." He explained with soft, half smile.

Shawn nearly glared at Roman. "It's not because Hunter and I are jealous, Roman. Bray blamed us all for letting it happen..." before he could say anything further, Chris interjected.

"No... that's not... he's upset. Bray lashes out when he's worried, especially when it comes to someone he cares about. I'll guarantee, as soon as he sees you, he will apologize. I for one am glad he's coming. He and Adam have a very deep bond. Adam is one of the few people Bray actually loves. You'll be glad when he gets here. Evan and I will go pick him up." Chris spoke softly as he kept running his fingers through Evan's hair. Evan nodded in agreement as he almost purred under Chris' comforting touch.

"Well that makes sense, thanks Chris. It's just he was so... angry. I'll be glad to go pick him up, but..." Shawn bit his lip, he didn't want to make Chris feel bad.

"No, Shawn. My skills aren't needed. Your more vital to the situation..." Chris was interrupted when Seth and Dean returned from their bedroom.

"I think I have it figured out. It will take a relay, but it should work. Sheamus said he and Drew will go tomorrow afternoon. I'll take one van and park just outside the castle gates. Dean will take the other van and park half way between here and there. I need to go get some supplies. Evan, how do we stand with the credit card?" Seth looked at Evan expectantly.

Evan moved to pull his wallet out of his pocket. "We're good, it's paid off. Make sure you keep all the receipts." He handed Seth a gold colored credit card.

"Shouldn't be over a thousand Euros. I need satellite equipment. It will be money well spent, maybe it's something we can use in the future." Seth explained as he took the van keys from Mark.

Roman looked up. "Before you go... I just... thank you guys, for everything. Adam will thank you when he's able... I couldn't... without you. Love you guys." He looked at each member of the team.

"Behind you a thousand percent, buddy. Be back soon. Dean, stay here, Jason may need your strength. Heath, Evan come with me?" He looked at the two younger men.

Both Chris and Jason encouraged their mates to go with Seth. The fresh air would do them good. Seth, Evan and Heath left to go down to Tullamore.

Shawn and Hunter sat on the couch. Mark sat on the balcony, nearly chain smoking cigars. Wade sat in his same chair, read the old book and sipped tea. Roman sat in his chair, his head back, eyes closed. Jason had turned the footstool to face the table. He and Chris tried to play a game of chess, with Chris' travel sized chess set. Jason was still learning how to play. While the room was quiet, it was filled with tension.

Wade put down his book, he needed to take a break from trying to translate the ancient Latin. He went out onto the balcony where Mark sat, looking out over the scenery. Wade placed his hands on Mark's shoulders and gently massaged them.

Mark let out a soft groan of approval. "I should be doing this for you. Anything?" He asked with another, soft, low groan.

Wade let out a chuckle. "Maybe later. I sure wouldn't refuse, love. Not much, it's mostly about the way of the fairy folk. I'm sure our theory is right though. They woke up what ever has..." he was halted by a bone chilling, guttural scream, at the same time the motion detector Mark had set up next to Adam's bed went off.

Mark jumped up like he'd been stung by a wasp. Both he and Wade headed for the room where Adam had been sleeping. Roman and the Helmsley's were already at the bedroom door.

Mark got in front of Roman. "Are you sure you want to see him like this?"

Roman growled, "Move," as he pushed Mark away. Mark sighed and opened the door. Jason and Chris had also followed the others.

Everyone stood in wide eyed terror. Adam's body had risen off the bed. His back was arched to nearly the breaking point as his limbs were still in their leather bonds. Adam's head turned towards them. He gnashed his teeth, his now black eyes glared at them. "You'll never have him back." Adam growled. Adam them laughed in such a vile, evil way... it made everyone sick. Adam was totally gone, replaced by the horror they now saw.


	24. The Fight for Adam's Soul

For a moment, time ceased to exist. No one could move, even if they had wanted to. It was if the thing inside Adam had put up an invisible barrier. Wade uttered a few words, and the barrier from the possessed Adam broke. He, Mark, Roman, Hunter and Shawn entered the room and closed the door behind them.

It was Chris who finally realized that someone was fervently knocking on the hotel room door. He pulled at Jason and nodded towards the sound.

"What do we say?" Jason whispered quickly as he stood with his hand on the knob of the door. Chris gave Jason a shrug. With a deep breath, Jason opened the door.

"Hello, Sir. Is there a problem? Several people reported hearing a scream. We heard it as well, at the desk." The hotel clerk looked at Jason and Chris. She then cast her gaze past them to the room beyond.

Jason laughed. "No, there is no problem. One of our friends was taking a nap. He had a terrible dream. He will be mortified to learn he made such a ruckus. Now we can tease him about it. Won't happen again." Jason kept his tone light and filled with humor. He prayed the ruse worked.

The girl nodded. "It happens sometimes. We only wanted to make sure all is okay. Have a good day." She turned to leave. Chris stopped her.

"Oh, by the way. Someone else from the States will be arriving to join us in the next day or so. He won't need a room, he'll stay with one of us, but he will need a roll away bed. I'll let you know when, as soon as I know." Chris explained to the clerk.

"That's fine, Sir. Call if you need anything. I hope your friend is alright."The clerk nodded then left.

Jason and Chris closed the door as they went back into the room. "That was quick thinking, Jay." Chris gave the policeman a pat on the back.

Jason looked at the closed bedroom door. "Was all I could think of. Should we go in?" Jason looked pensively at the historian.

"I... don't know. We might be in he way." Chris replied with a shrug.

Jason let out a very slight whimper. "I... don't know if I even want to see him like that. I should be with him, he's my brother, but..." he bit the inside of his lip so hard, he tasted copper.

Chris nodded. "I can understand that. You shouldn't feel guilty for feeling that way. It's hard to see someone you love in pain. After my mom had her accident... I didn't see her much. I wanted to remember her as she was, strong, vibrant, loving. I didn't want to see her shrunken and frail, not knowing who I was. She didn't either. I visited her when she was dying, she had one, single lucid moment. She looked at me, clear headed and clear eyed and said, "go". She didn't want me to... anyway, I understand. Adam at least, isn't dying." Chris swiftly went to the balcony and lit a cigarette.

Jason stood and looked at the bedroom door, then to Chris. He went to the balcony. Adam had help, Chris didn't with Evan gone. Jason knew talking about his mom had upset Chris. Jason laid a hand on Chris' shoulder. Chris gave Jason a nod. Together they waited... just waited.

Roman rushed to the bed. It took both him and Mark to push Adam's body back down on the bed. Adam growled and gnashed his teeth. His eyes held no light, it was if there was no spark of life in them. His hands were curled like claws as he tried to twist them free.

"I'd better increase the sedative. It's alright, for now, but, I'll have to see about getting a different... it's too complicated. Shawn please get another injection and infusion bag." Hunter spoke over the snarls and growls spewing from Adam's vulgar mouth.

Roman sat on the edge of the bed. The occasional tear dripped down his cheek. He stroked Adam's sweaty brow. He tried _not_ to see the lifeless, blackened eyes. He tried _not_ to hear the vile curses that frothed out of his husband's mouth.

"Please, baby. Be my strong, wonderful Viking. I know you are still in there. Keep fighting, sweetheart. Please mata aulelei, pele ea, outa alofa la te oe. I love you." Roman spoke in soft, love filled words. He tried to ignore the mocking words fired back at him.

"He's mine, my pretty eyes, my precious, he doesn't love you. He is mine to fuck with..." the thing inside Adam continued its hateful words and had understood the Samoan Roman had spoken.

Shawn handed Hunter the prepared injection, then he changed the near empty IV bag for the fresh one. He was pleased that though he never finished his nursing course, the actions came to him like an old friend.

Adam let out a deep growl, and snapped his teeth as Hunter slid the needle into his arm. Hunter adjusted the drip of the infusion. Shawn handed Hunter another injection. This time, Hunter added it to the IV drip.

In a few minutes the sedative began to take effect. Just as the black eyes closed, they blinked open again. This time Roman noticed, Adam's eyes were once again a beautiful hazel green. Adam was back!

"Roman... he... help... me..." Adam's voice was nothing more than a hoarse, pitiful whisper, but it was the most beautiful whisper Roman had ever heard.

Roman started to answer, but when Adam blinked again, the eyes were once again black and lifeless. A vile growl came from Adam's lips. The thing closed it's black eyes and fell back into a deep, medication induced sleep.

"Yes my dearest darling, I _know_ you're there. I heard you. We're all going to help you, I swear it. Hang on my Viking, hang on." Now that the teeth had stopped gnashing, Roman could bend down and kiss Adam on the forehead. He looked up at the others.

"Did you hear and see? Adam came back, he came back. He's fighting it, oh dear God, he's fighting it. We have to hurry." Roman's own eyes were filled with unshed tears and hope as he looked at the other men in the room.

Shawn moved to sit on the edge of the bed with Roman. He took the younger man into his arms and hugged him. He broke the hug and looked at Roman. He thumbed a tear from Roman's cheek.

"We heard him too. We'll do everything we can. It's wonderful that he's fighting so hard. Come on, let's let him sleep." Shawn smiled softly.

Roman shook his head. "No, I'm staying here. I can't... I just want to hear him breathe. I'll be careful." He took Adam's now relaxed hand in his.

Shawn nodded. He once again applied Holy Water to the leather bindings. When he finished, He, Hunter, Wad and Dean left the bedroom. Mark waited till he others had left.

Mark put a hand on Roman's shoulder. "Roman, I do believe we had a glimpse of Adam, I really do. However, the demon _can_ use that as well. It may ask you to release the bonds, as Adam, to make you take pity. Roman, no matter what, _do not_ let it out of the restraints. Call as soon as he starts to waken. Roman, remember, it _will_ use Adam to get to you. Adam will understand. Roman Reigns do you _hear_ me?" Mark spoke in a firm tone with a hard glare. Roman had to listen to him.

Roman looked from Adam to Mark. "I hear you _and_ I understand. It isn't my first possession. I _know_ how the demons use their victims. And before you say it, I know its never been one of us before, let alone the man I love. I _won't_ let it use Adam, I promise. Now, _please_ , I'd like to be alone with my husband." He spoke just as firmly with a nod to the door.

Mark gave Roman's shoulder an understanding pat and a nod. With a bit of reluctance, he left the couple alone. At least Adam should be out of it for a while.

When Mark walked back into the living room area, Seth, Heath, and Evan were explaining to the group how the equipment they'd purchased would work. "So, it will take some work, but, the results should be fantastic. Dean, Heath, Evan, I could use your help. I'll have to work all night to get it done in time." Seth gave a nod to the bags and boxes they had brought in.

Chris picked up a heavy box. "I'll help too." he needed something to do. Jason was terrible at chess. He followed Evan into Seth and Dean's bedroom.

Mark called Jason out onto the balcony. "We had to sedate Adam again, but he had a lucid moment. He was Adam again, he... asked Roman for help." Mark paused when Jason let out a soft whimper.

Mark gave Jason's shoulder a squeeze. "I know, kiddo. However, it means Adam is still in there, fighting and that's good. Stay strong, Jason. Roman is going to need you. Hell, you're a fucking cop, you face demons every day, like drugs and alcohol. Only difference is, those are demons you can see. Let's go get some food for everyone. Good American style junk. There is a Burger King in town." He gave Jason a wink.

While Mark and Jason were gone, Seth and the others put together a live feed satellite system. He couldn't wait to test it out, even if it meant staying up all night, to be ready for tomorrow.

Mark and Jason returned with bags of burgers, fries, onion rings and sodas. Shawn even managed to persuade Roman to come out and eat. Roman set the motion detector, kissed Adam's brow and left the room.

Roman sat on the floor at the coffee table where the food was laid out. "All of his favorites. God... this waiting..." He viciously bit an onion ring in half with a growl.

"i know, but we _must_ find out what we're dealing with. This isn't some random demon. We're dealing with something sent by a vicious, vile demon. If we don't find out anything tomorrow, I'm going to call my Uncle. He sent that book, he'll know what to do." Wade gave Roman a reassuring pat on the back. His eyes were lit with the fire of determination.

Roman swallowed his bite of food. "I know, Wade. Look, I appreciate everything you are doing. You'll just have to ignore me if I snap. That's the love of my life lying in there, fighting for his very soul. I would trade places with him if I could... I... I..." Roman gave a deep sniff and swiped his eyes with his napkin. He vowed not to cry again.

Hunter cleared his throat. "We know, Roman. Don't worry about it. No one is going to judge you. I've been thinking... Seth, where were you planning on watching this live feed from Leap?" He looked at the computer expert with a raised brow.

Seth shrugged. "Probably out there." He pointed to the balcony. Even though their room was on the first floor, the room still had a balcony.

Hunter frowned. "Is that wise? Aren't we trying to keep information away from..." He nodded towards the bedroom where Adam lay sleeping.

Mark swallowed his bite of food. "It knows we know, but I think Hunter is right. We should use the other room. Just in case it tries to interfere." He spoke in a thoughtful tone and took another bite of the delicious fast food.

Seth loaded his onion ring with ketchup as he took in Mark's words. "Yeah, reception would be better up there. Roman, Jason can we use your room?" He looked at the men in question.

"Absolutely. Listen, we may have a problem. While you were all in with Adam, the clerk came to the door. People were worried when they heard Adam scream. We managed to put her off, told her it was nightmare, but if it gets worse?" Jason cast a worried glance at the men around the room.

Everyone stopped eating and a deafening silence filled the room. Roman looked at the bedroom door, then to the others. "He can't fucking help it!" He cried out in frustrated anger. He ran his hands through his hair and rested his head in his palms.

Jason and Heath both went to Roman and placed their hands on his back in comfort and support. "We know, buddy, we know." Jason sighed deeply.

Seth thoughtfully swirled another onion ring in the ketchup. "Maybe Sheamus knows a place we can take him. We all know an exorcism is not... quiet." He paused, everyone was glaring at him. Seth gasped and slapped his hand over his mouth.

Roman spoke, his words muffled by his hands. "It's alright. We knew it would come to that. Not saying the word isn't going to change anything. What ever has my precious Adam will have to be exorcised. It's not like it will leave politely when asked." He sniffed deeply. Roman lowered his hands and gave Seth a look of forgiveness.

Mark wadded up the paper wrapper of his burger and tossed it across the room with a growl. "I should have stopped it. I should have fucking stopped it. I could feel the absolute evil int that oubliette and I should have stopped the investigation." He then threw the empty onion ring box with another growl.

Wade had seen Mark angry, a handful of times, but nothing like this. He wasn't exactly sure what to do. Usually when angry, Mark wanted to be left alone, but this time Wade also sensed a profound sadness in the anger.

The others too were a bit taken a back. Mark was the always the calmest one amongst them, even in the most trying circumstances. Evan was even a bit afraid of the large man. He moved closer to Chris on instinct.

Wade had gotten up and went to Mark. Mark had gone out onto the balcony to smoke yet another cigar. "Mark?" Wade asked in a low, quiet voice.

Mark turned to face Wade, tears tracked down his usually stoic face. It was heartbreaking. "You _couldn't_ have known. We feel evil a lot of times and nothing happens. You know as well as I, you _can't_ stop it, not really. It would have only picked another victim. What we _must_ do now is figure out how to get that thing out of Adam, without... damaging him. _That_ you can do, _we_ can do, together." Wade wrapped an arm around his fiancé. Mark rested his head on Wade's shoulder.

Adam managed to pass a rather peaceful night. Twice he showed signs of stirring, but each time, Hunter quickly increased the sedative. He didn't like doing it, but it had to be done.

Roman sat with Adam all night. He gently held Adam's bound hand. He dozed off and on. No amount of persuasion from Shawn could make Roman go to bed. Shawn understood, he didn't sleep much either.

The entire group stayed in the living room. None of them got much sleep. Seth worked on the live feed equipment until Dean forced him to at least rest his eyes. He reminded Seth, that he needed to be awake and alert for the live feed.

The Irish June morning dawned clear and bright. It was the first morning without a fog. Seth was glad, it mean the weather wouldn't be an issue.

Seth, Dean, Jason, Heath, Chris and Evan wolfed down a quick breakfast, then under Seth's expert guidance, began fitting the new equipment in their two vehicles.

Heath was carefully following Seth's instructions. He was in the process of bolting a small satellite dish to the luggage rack on top of the van Seth would park just outside of Leap Castle. Jason was doing the same on the other vehicle.

Chris and Evan worked on running the cables from the dishes, through the window, to the relay boxes that would send the live feed from Leap to the Hotel.

Seth worked on programming the computer while Dean made notes. Seth wanted to be able to set up as fast as possible once they were at Leap.

Inside, Adam had once again begun to stir. Revolting growls began to flow over his lips. His fingers curled, his back began to arch up off the bed.

Roman did his best to remain calm. He stroked Adam's brow. "Hunter, get Hunter." Roman called out over his shoulder.

Mark and Wade had made a pallet of blankets on the floor and tried to get some sleep. Shawn and Hunter had gone to the restaurant for a bit of breakfast. Wade left the room to fetch the Physician and Preacher. Mark rushed to Adam's bed side.

"Roman, I want to try to talk to it. Remember, no matter what I say, or what I do, it is _not_ Adam. You know how it can get. Perhaps you'd better leave, get something to eat." Mark spoke softly, but rapidly, as he pulled on his black robe.

Roman's eyes never left his husband. "No, I'll stay. Do what you have to do. We have to find out... but Mark... this _is_ Adam, not an unknown client..." Roman finally looked at Mark. His gray eyes were red rimmed with the stress of the situation.

The conversation ceased when Adam gave a demonic laugh. Adam had opened his eyes and Roman had to bite back a gasp of horror. Adam's eyes were as black as onyx, but now the pupils were like bright, red rubies. The thing inside Adam was taking more and more of Adam's very soul.

Mark stood behind a seated Roman. He looked down at Adam, his own dark eyes were like those of a raptor, searching for prey with absolute ferocity. "Who are you demon?" Mark asked in a deep, commanding voice. His eyes were piercing.

Adam's lips curled in a sickening grin. He snaked his tongue over his lips, breathy, diabolical sounds purged from his mouth before he laughed.

"I am the eater of this one's soul. He is most delicious. Do you taste his soul when you lick his cock?" Adam's eyes rolled back in his head as he gave another nauseating laugh.

Mark placed his hand on Roman's shoulder. "Speak not of such things, trickster. I demand in the name of the Dragon's Breath tell me your name. Name yourself, demon!" His voice still held a stoic, commanding tone.

Adam raised his head, barred his teeth, snarled and tried to claw at Mark who had swapped places with Roman. The breath that blasted Mark in the face was putrid; like rotting flesh. The Demonologist refused to turn away, it was what the thing wanted.

"You can not demand of me! The Dragon's Breath is not my brethren. This one is mine, human. Let it go, its soul is very tasty. Leave me to eat it!" the thing inside Adam spoke in a voice that had the intonation of two voices. One was slightly lower and a breath behind the other, it was eerie.

Adam lashed out against the bindings and arched up off the bed when Hunter and Shawn returned with Wade. He growled and barred his teeth like a rabid animal, as flecks of foam gathered at the corners of Adam's mouth.

Shawn muttered a silent prayer as he followed Hunter. The Physician had moved to the table he'd set up with the medical supplies. He prepared another injection.

Mark turned to Hunter. "Wait." He turned back to Adam. "Again, I command you to name yourself demon!" he pointed a finger at Adam. His eyes blazed, Mark's face was like carved stone.

"Never, you vile creation of blood and bone. Leave this delicious soul to me!" The black and red eyes shifted their gaze from Mark to Roman. "You shall not defile my chosen one with your cock again. I shall fuck him, make him my plaything, and such a pretty thing he is." The creature inside Adam caused Adam's tongue to slide between Adam's lips. The thing made lurid licking motions and slurping sounds.

Roman also refused to turn away. He had enough experience to know, once a demon saw any weakness, it would pounce on it. If that happened, the victim was in serious trouble, and possibly lost forever.

"No, demon. Adam will _always_ be mine; always. You _won't_ win., I own better than his soul; I own his heart!" Roman growled right back at the demon inside Adam. His gray eyes were nearly as dark as Adam's as Roman glared down at Adam's demon possessed body.

Mark gave a nod to Hunter while the demon's attention was focused on Roman. Hunter injected the strong dose of medication into the line feed of the IV tube. Roman kept he demon distracted, so this time, the sedative took quick effect.

Roman gave a deep, tear laced sigh as Adam's body drifted back into a state of medical unconsciousness. He tiredly rubbed his eyes and felt Mark's hand on his shoulder.

"I don't suppose it slipped up?" Wade asked as he poured a glass of water. He held the glass out for Roman.

Roman took the glass with a nod of thanks. Mark replied. "No, this is a very clever one. Knows where to cut Roman's heart..." He turned from Wade to Roman. "You did well, son. Come on. Set the motion detector, we need to talk before the others leave and you must eat. I'll ban you from this room if you disobey me. Adam would be furious if he saw you like this. Roman, you are going to need all your strength, the battle hasn't even started yet. Are you going to let that... thing, have Adam because you're too weak and tired to fight?" Mark glared hard at Roman. He spoke like a stern parent.

Roman's shoulders sagged. "I... get it. You're right. I finally hear you, all of you..." He stood and looked down at his stricken husband.

Roman then eyed each of the men in the room. He growled again. "Just pray none of you are never in this situation. See how _you_ would deal with it." He stormed out of the room.

Shawn let out the breath he'd been holding in. "We deserved that. Mark, we've both pushed him enough. We both mean well, and you spoke the absolute truth to him, but, he's had enough. He is not going to give up on Adam, ever. Now, we have work to do." He smiled at Mark and hugged him.

Mark hugged Shawn in return. He gave the Preacher a nod The men prepared the room. Mark and Wade set up the motion detector. Hunter cleaned up his medical area and Shawn reinforced the seal of Holy Water on Adam's restraints. Together they left a sleeping Adam and went out to join the others.

"... so despite all his efforts, Mark couldn't get the thing to name itself. Fucking hell!" Roman had been telling the others about Adam. He slammed his fist against the wall and stormed out on to the balcony. Roman needed a breath of fresh air.

Jason got up to follow Roman, but Shawn stopped him. "Let him breathe, Jay. You boys ready?"

Jason nodded with a sigh. "Seth and Dean are finishing up. Everything looks good."

The conversation split as Shawn and Hunter spoke with Jason and Heath. Mark and Wade sat curled together. Evan looked at Mark.

"What did Roman mean by it wouldn't name itself?" The young man asked in a confused tone. Evan was trying to be a strong man, but he'd never seen a possession. He hated to sound stupid, but he could only learn if he asked questions.

Mark smiled at Evan. "I know this is scary and confusing for you. We are all proud of the way you are pitching in and helping. Now, a demon's power is in its name. If we don't know its name, we can't command it. It knows that. Once we learn its name, we can command it. The spirit world is... unique. In some ways, the demons behave more civilly than humans do. They have a very... organized hierarchy. They have rules and they follow them... go figure. I'll give you some basic books on Demonology if you'd like. Forearmed is forewarned. Now, I want everyone to eat, get hydrated and get ready. Evan would you get Roman a hot bowl of that Irish stew from the restaurant?" Mark asked with a nod to the balcony.

Wade stood. "Come on, Squirt. We'll get some for everyone. Can't exactly send for room service."

Chris started to get up as well, but Mark slyly held up a hand to stop him. With a wrinkled brow, Chris remained seated as Even left with Wade. Heath and Jason went as well leaving the elders of the group to talk.

"Spit it out, Mark." Chris scoffed at Mark. He hated Evan going anywhere without him.

Mark sighed so deeply it almost rumbled like thunder. "I may have to ask Evan to do something and it's the _last_ thing I want to do. Chris he may have to break open his empathic door and... speak to the demon. I don't know if he's ready for that, but it might be our only hope to find out that things name. I'll only...as a last resort..." He was halted when Chris violently threw a small, round sofa cushion at his face. Mark was able to deflect it.

Shawn tisked. "Chris, behave. You think Mark _wants_ to ask Evan to do that? We know you love him and want to protect him. We love him, too. However, Evan was given his gift. Maybe this is why he was given the gift, to help with things like this. Adam was given his gift, and you know how he helps people. Mark, can it wait, at least until Bray gets here? He will know how to help Adam..." Shawn's speech was interrupted by Roman.

"It will wait, Chris. Shawn and Mark are both right. An empath has a chance. I don't know as much about it as Bray. It's for Adam, Chris... for Adam..." Roman blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. He looked at Chris with a heavy heart.

Chris put his head in his hands. Nothing more was said as Evan and the others returned with a trolley. There was a huge pot of Irish stew, fresh chunks of fresh baked soda bread, a pitcher of fresh, ice cold milk, flatware, bowls, glasses and napkins.

Seth and Dean came in just as everyone had started to eat. They dished up, then sat on the floor in the living room with the others. Everyone ate in near silence. It was if their ears were perked for any sound from the bedroom. The food was delicious, but no one noticed, there was so much tension in the air.

Seth broke the silence. "We can't avoid talking about it, so here's the plan. Sheamus called while we were outside. He and Drew will meet us at Leap at seven. Sean and his family are in London, but Sheamus got permission and he has a key, so we are all set. Heath knows how to make the connection here. Dean will be at the half way point and of course, I'll be at Leap..." He paused to take a sip of milk.

Mark overtook the conversation. "Wade and Hunter will stay with Adam. Heath and myself will be upstairs. Jason, go with Seth, Chris go with Dean. That leaves... Shawn, Evan and Roman..." Mark was then interrupted by Roman.

"I'm going up to watch that fucking live feed. I want answers and I'm fucking _going_ to get them. One way, or another." Roman's bad temper continued. He bit at his spoonful of stew so hard the spoon rattled in his teeth. He also cast a quick glance at Evan.

Evan didn't notice, he was lost in thought, which became words. "Mark. I was thinking about what you said, about getting the demon to name its self. I can find out, through my empathy... or at least I can try..." He looked up, everyone was staring at him.

Chris opened his mouth but Evan shushed him. "I know what you're going to say, and I love you for wanting to protect me. If I can do something to help Adam, I will. He's done so much to help me... Mark? What do you think?" He looked from Chris to Mark.

Mark told Evan about the earlier conversation he'd had with the others. "... so, you're not to even be near Adam until Bray arrives..." Everyone stopped when a loud knock was heard. Someone was at the door.

Hunter was closest. He looked through the fish eye. "Oh my God." He quickly opened the door. Gasps echoed in the room as Bray Wyatt and two very burly looking men came into the room.

"Sorry it took me so long to get here." Bray gave a bit of a chuckle. Before he could think, Roman was in his embrace, sobbing like a baby.

Chris got up and brought the two strangers into the living room. He was the only other one other than Adam who'd met the two men. "Everyone, this is Erick Rowan and Luke Harper. Erick, Luke..." Chris went on and introduced Bray's lovers to the College Hill Ghost Hunters.

Bray still held Roman as Hunter spoke to him. "How in the hell did you get here so damn fast?" Roman let go of his mentor.

Bray greeted the rest of the group. Shawn saw the two burly men eyeing the food. He smiled and waved them over to the cart with the pot of stew and dished some up for them. Erick and Rowan devoured the rest of the stew as they sat on the floor at the coffee table.

Bray was finally able to speak. "It's a rather long story, but basically Heyman arranged it. I knew he had connections with the Air Force through the University, because of the R.O.T.C. program. I told him Adam was in trouble. He didn't hesitate. I honestly don't know how he did it, but we were flown here on some kind of Concorde type aircraft. He told me to bring the boys." He gave a shrug of his shoulders.

Bray then turned to a red-eyed Roman. "Now, tell me everything." For the next hour, Roman and Mark filled Bray in on every detail they could think of. When they finished, Evan jumped in with his thoughts.

"Bray shook his head. "First, Evan, you _will_ keep your mind locked, tight. We'll only try that as an extreme _last_ resort. Next, I want to see Adam. Your idea of the live feed is a good one. I want to see it as well. For all that you've been through, you're all holding up very well. You are true team and somehow, we _are_ going to get our Adam back. Come on Roman, buck up. You're doing everything possible. Now, I told the hotel I needed a room, sadly they are booked up. So where can we crash?" Bray finished his speech.

Heath spoke up. "Our room, if Ada... er Roman doesn't mind. I'm sorry. Erick, Luke just make yourselves at home, we aren't fancy." He looked at the two huge men with a smile.

All conversation came to a stop. The motion detectors around Adam had begun to go off. Everyone got up and headed for the bedroom. Gasps of shock filled the air.

Adam had broken free of his bonds. His body had risen off the bed. He was floating, face down in mid air. The leather bindings were smouldering as if they had been burnt. Adam turned his head and screamed.

"Roman, help me!" Adam then crashed down onto the bed. He landed in a motionless heap. He wasn't breathing.


	25. The Fight Turns to Battle

Hunter, his Physician's mind on full alert, moved the quickest. He gently but swiftly rolled Adam onto his back. Hunter saw that Adam's lips were turning blue and he wasn't visibly breathing.

Roman rushed to Adam while Shawn ran for the trauma kit. The kit contained a small, portable oxygen canister and a portable defibrillator. Thanks to his nursing course, Shawn knew exactly what to do.

Hunter checked to make sure no physical object was caught in Adam's throat. He found nothing and began CPR until Shawn could prepare the equipment. Roman took Adam's hand in his.

"Let go of him, please. Breathe baby, come on my strong, handsome Viking. LET. HIM. BREATHE!" Roman begged at first, then he became commanding.

Bray shoved the others out of the room and closed the door. He went to stand behind Roman. He couldn't yet comprehend what had happened to his protégé. He placed a hand on Roman's shoulder.

"Talk to Adam, forget the demon. Don't give it any more power." Bray encouraged Roman.

Roman nodded. "Adam, you listen to me. You _make_ yourself breathe. Come on my beautiful baby, breathe... just fucking breathe!" He spoke firmly.

Shawn was about to place the oxygen mask over Adam' face when the unconscious blond took a sudden, deep gasp of air. His chest heaved as the breath entered his lungs. His lips lost their blue color as life came back to him. Shawn sighed and went to return the oxygen back in the trauma kit.

Hunter monitored Adam's vitals. "Everything seems to be stable. Good work, Roman." he placed his stethoscope over his shoulders like a scarf.

Roman caressed Adam's brow. "Good job, my love. You keep strong for me. Keep fighting, you can do it. Baby, Bray is here. He came, just to see you..." He paused, Adam's eyes began to flutter open.

"Ro... man... B... Bray?" Adam's voice was extremely hoarse, but it was his own. Brief flashes of hazel shone behind the fluttering lashes. For the moment, Adam was his normal self.

"Yes, baby. I'm here and I love you so fucking much." Roman leaned down and kissed Adam's cheek. He wanted to kiss Adam's lips, but that was too dangerous. A kiss would give the demon a portal to Roman's soul.

Bray gently patted Adam's knee. "I'm here, kiddo. Thanks to you, I got to ride on a top secret plane. I brought my boys, they are anxious to see you too. You listen to Roman, stay strong. Adam, can you tell us who has you?" He knew the question was risky, but they had to grasp any straw they could.

While Roman and Bray spoke with Adam, Mark went to get a stronger set of bindings. He hated to do it, especially with Adam aware, but Mark once again bound Adam's wrists and ankles to the bed. These bindings, while still made of leather, had a special copper band in the core. Copper tended to have an effect on demons. These bindings had also been blessed by Wizards, they had been in the box from Wade's Uncle.

Adam was still himself as Mark bound him to the bed. "I'm sorry." Mark's voice was filled with sorrow as he worked. He couldn't look Adam in the eye.

Adam managed a very weak smile. "It's... alright... Mark... I under... stand..." His voice was barely a whisper and it hurt as he swallowed.

Shawn brought Roman a cup filled with crushed ice and a spoon. "Here, it will make your throat feel better." He gave Adam's leg a caress as Mark buckled the last binding in place.

For the next few minutes, it was if nothing had happened. Roman slowly fed Adam a few spoonfuls of ice. Wade and Bray spoke quietly in the corner of the room.

Hunter and Shawn worked together to prepare a new IV bag. "I want to change the IV port while I can, Adam. This will sting, but only for a moment." Hunter gave Adam's shoulder a pat.

Adam swallowed the ice in his mouth. "I... un... der... " his voice cracked and his eyes began to flutter. A tremble rattled his body.

Hunter quickly put the new IV port in the back of Adam's left hand. Before he could finish, Adam was gone, replaced by the black and red eyed demon.

The demon spoke. "You thought I was gone. You fools! I _told_ you, he is mine!" the thing laughed with a vile intonation. Hunter added the sedative to the IV and it didn't take too long. The demon rested once again.

Roman let out a sob filled sigh. Bray and Shawn both helped him up and out of the room. Hunter applied the Holy Water to the bindings.

"That, with the copper should assure they won't come off." Mark gave Hunter a nod. The Physician replaced the cap on the bottle of blessed water.

Hunter looked at Mark and Wade. "Okay, we're alone. I want the fucking truth. Are we going to get Adam back, or do I need to start making arrangements for Independence?" He was deadly serious as he stared the two men down with a face like thunder.

Wade glanced at Mark. Neither man knew exactly what to say. Mark spoke. "I honestly don't know, yet. We'll have to see if Sheamus can find out anything. We're doing and will continue to do all we can. Don't you _dare_ start to give up. Roman needs you to be strong." Mark laid a firm hand on Hunter's shoulder.

"You're right. I'm sorry. It's just... I'm really worried about keeping him sedated. I've already increased the dosage. The one before this should have knocked him out for seventy-two hours. Any more and there is a high risk of permanent brain damage. We have to find a place where his screaming won't matter. Mark, I'm speaking as a Doctor, _not_ a friend, understand?" Hunter looked from Adam to Mark. His eyes were overflowing with concern.

"I understand. Wade and I were talking about it. If we have to, we'll find a remote place and camp out. At least it's summer. We'd better set up the motion detectors. It's about time to send out the others." Mark gave Hunter a pat on the back. He and Wade then went about setting the detectors.

Wade settled into a chair by the window, he had the old leather bound book in his lap. The Wizard cast a glance at the sleeping demon infested form of Adam. He opened the book and began to read. There had to be an answer, somewhere, there just had to be.

Seth, Jason, Dean and Chris said good bye and headed out. It was five in the late Irish afternoon. Seth figured it was just enough time to get set up and run a test.

Up in their suite, Roman, Heath, Mark and Bray set up the live feed receiving monitor and computer. Luke and Erick had gone to lie down. Jet lag was a new experience, they had never flown before, and it added to the situation that they were in an Air Force test plane. They knew now why they had always driven to Iowa to visit Bray.

As they worked, Bray expounded on Heyman helping them out. "... he said he owed Adam for bringing his family back together. Of course, I didn't tell him any details only that Adam desperately needed help on a case in Ireland. He said he'd make a few calls, and here we are." He stated as he plugged everything into a wall socket.

"We'll have to take them to a nice dinner or something. Thank you, Bray. We needed you... Adam needs you..." Roman once again hugged the father figure of Bray Wyatt.

Dean and Chris pulled into a lay-by that was about half way between the hotel and Leap Castle. They immediately started setting up their satellite relay. Dean got on the roof of the van and fed the GPS coordinates into the satellite's mini computer.

Chris fired up the main computer and with a program Seth had written, was able to manually fine tune the satellite. Dean came down and sat next to Chris. All they could do now was wait for a call from Seth.

When Seth and Jason pulled up to the gates of Leap, Sheamus was waiting with Drew. The Irishman introduced the Scotsman. Drew and Seth remembered each other with a warm hug. Drew was handsome with his long, waist length hair pulled into a pony tail. He had piercing eyes and he wore a kilt. However, he was all business as he looked over the live feed system Seth had managed to rig together.

"Should work. My FLIR is studio quality. Here's the relay chip." Drew stated as he handed Seth a small, nearly flat plastic box with a micro chip.

"We'll head up to the castle. I'll contact you when we're ready to test." Sheamus too was extremely serious. He and Drew both knew a man's very soul depended on them. It was a heavy burden to carry, but one they carried willingly.

Roman paced from the balcony to the area in the living room where they had set up to receive the live feed. He looked at his pocket watch. He smiled, the watch had been a wedding gift from Adam. The front was etched with a Viking ship and a Samoan war shield. Inside was etched, _"To R.J.R Our love is forever, love A.J.C.R."_ and their wedding date was etched below that. Roman was never without the beautiful silver watch.

Roman looked when he felt a hand on his shoulder; it was Bray. "I was with him when he bought that. Took six stores before he found a jeweller who could etch that cover. Adam also remarked it was the first time he used the Reigns last name; he was so proud. We'll get your Adam back; I swear it. The feed is up, come on." Bray nodded to the lap top monitor.

Roman quickly sat down next to Heath. He watched as Heath carefully followed the instructions Seth had written down. Seth's knowledge of computers and electronics baffled most of the group, but so far, Seth hadn't failed them.

The tip of Heath's tongue stuck out at the corner of his mouth as he carefully typed in each number or letter. As he worked the live feed camera, the picture became clearer and the sound louder. When he finished, it was if they were actually standing next to Sheamus.

"This is better than I thought it would be." Heath spoke into the radio that connected him with Seth and Dean.

Seth's voice crackled in reply _"Thank Drew. He gave me a special micro chip. He has a studio camera... Roman, it's a FLIR!"_ There was a tone of awe in Seth's voice.

Everyone from Seth, down the line to Dean to the hotel, fell silent as they watched Sheamus, with Drew behind the camera, make their way up the stairs to the Bloody Chapel of Leap Castle.

Wade looked up as Shawn came into the room with a fresh pot of tea. Hunter was adjusting the flow of Adam's IV. He'd added another half dose of sedative to the bag.

Adam rested, but his breaths were rapid, like an animal. Every time the demon was active, Hunter noted the increased breathing rate. That was why he'd added more sedative to the infusion. Hunter relaxed as Adam's breathing slowed to a more normal, human pace. This time he'd kept the demon at bay.

Hunter sat down, across from Wade with a sigh. "Got it in time. Thanks , darling, I needed this." He sipped the tea Shawn had poured for him.

"It's getting worse. Mark is right, we can't stay here. Look, I'm going to contact my Uncle, see if he knows of a place we can go." Wade got up and left the room.

"That's not easy for him. According to Mark, Wade's family relations are strained." Shawn explained as he sat on the footstool next to Hunter and sipped his own tea. Shawn cast his eyes up at the ceiling, were they having any luck?

Sheamus was on the screen. He'd been calling out to the Monk's spirit for several minutes and so far, there had been no response.

Roman stared at the screen. His lips silently formed the word "Please" over and over. His fingers were laced together so tightly they were white. His left food tapped like a machine gun.

Bray had tried to calm Roman, but had finally given up. He watched the screen, hoping to see or hear something, anything to help Adam.

Mark gave a sudden grunt. He pointed to the screen. "Look." He pointed to an image that began to glow blue in the corner.

Roman's eyes grew narrow and he leaned in for a closer look. "That's the same corner where I saw the Priest, right before I was attacked. Come on you bastard, come on."

Sheamus spoke again. _"I can see you. Please... we need your help... come forward... you know me... we've spoken before."_

They watched as the image grew into a man shaped and sized blue mass. Drew kept his camera focused on the mass.

A very faint, arid voice was heard. _"Why... trub... le...me..."_ the voice was broken as the image spoke. It sounded angry.

Sheamus replied. _"Sorry if we disturbed you... please... we need your help... we ask for your mercy... as a priest... a Monk of the order..."_ He kept his tone respectful as he spoke to the religious robed spirit.

Breaths were held, from Seth, to Dean to the hotel as they watched and waited. Even though Adam's soul was at stake, it was still extremely fascinating to watch a conversation with the spirit realm.

Wade came back into the room. He had a soft smile on his face as he sat down. "We'd better start to pack up. We're going to my Uncle's. He lives very close to Stonehenge, in West Amesbury. It's nearly a ten hour trip and we have to take the ferry to England, but, it's our best chance. My Uncle welcomes us, and he is aware of Adam; he wants to help. Can we travel with him?" Wade cast a question filled gaze at the sleeping Adam.

Back up in the other hotel suite, Roman and others were getting frustrated. Sheamus and the spirit were not making much progress. The priest was communicating, but was more interested in the fact "he" had been disturbed.

The people watching could tell that Sheamus was getting just as frustrated. He rubbed his ginger bearded chin, and tried again. " _Please... a soul is in danger... won't you please, please help us?"_ Sheamus sounded like he was on the verge of getting down on his knees and begging.

Drew focused closer on the blue mass. You could tell, even better, that the figure had the shape of a hooded Monk.

The spirit gave what sounded like a sigh. _"Ask..."_ was the only word that any one clearly heard, but Seth was sure there had been more.

Sheamus gave a slight bow. _"Thank you... can you tell me... the name of the spirit that went into one of my friends...Adam?"_ He spoke slowly and directly to the Priest in the corner.

The spirit seemed to shake its hooded head. _"Can... not... betray... others... no..."_ the voice grew even fainter and the blue mass began to shrink and fade.

Sheamus glanced at the screen Drew held, but even without the image, he could tell the Monk was fading. _"Please... as a man of the cloth... help us. Save Adam's soul... save his life... please!"_ Sheamus shouted his last few words in desperation.

The voice responded, but the words were so airy and faint they couldn't be made out. Drew pressed a button and the image on the screen changed from infrared to normal.

Sheamus spoke. _"I couldn't hear his last words. I'm sorry. I tried, oh God, I tried."_ The Irishman was near tears as he spoke. His face showed utter defeat.

Seth spoke over his device. _"You did great, Shea, you too Drew. Fantastic images. Don't give up yet, anyone. I still have to go over the audio. You never know. I'm sure the spirit spoke before he left. There is always a chance he told us something. Break down, and we'll be back soon."_ Seth ended the live transmission with a hope filled voice.

When Roman, Mark, and Bray came back to the downstairs suite, Hunter and Wade were looking at a map. They also noticed a few packed bags by the door. More brows were raised when Evan came in with his and Chris' bags, packed and ready.

Mark looked at his fiancé. "We going somewhere?" His brow was highly arched in question.

Wade nodded as he pointed to the map. "West Amesbury, to my Uncle's estate. You can see Stonehenge to the west. He welcomed, all of us, and has offered to help with Adam." He smiled. Wade was still so pleased that his Uncle had so willingly offered to help.

Roman sat down in slight shock. "Can Adam... will... is it safe? How far?"

"Five hundred eighty seven kilometres. That's roughly three hundred sixty five miles. It's about ten hours. If we hurry, we can just catch the last ferry down at Rosslare Harbor. We'll enter Wales, get to the M four and be at my Uncles by either late morning or early afternoon. So... anything?" Wade explained, as kept drawing a red line on the map so show the route.

Mark told everyone about the live feed. He still had hope that Seth could find out something that would help. "... so, it wasn't a total bust, not yet anyway. Now, like Roman asked, can Adam make the trip?" He looked hard at Hunter.

Hunter looked from Mark to Roman. "Yes, it can be done. If we keep him... secured. I'll give him another full dose of sedative, but after that, I can't keep him under. We'll make a bed in the back of the van. Everyone, better get yourselves packed. We're leaving as soon as the others get back." His words were firm and his face was like an etched stone.

Heath had just finished shutting down the computer. He placed the disc he'd recorded into a jewel case. He started when Roman and Bray burst into the room. Roman explained about the sudden trip. Heath jumped up and went off to pack his and Jason's bags. Bray went to help Roman pack his and Adam's things.

"I'll rent a car when we get to Wales. The boys and I take up a lot of room..." Bray said with a nod to the two large men, snoring away in the bed Roman once shared with Adam. Luckily they had not yet unpacked.

Roman took his and Adam's bags downstairs to let Bray wake his boys. Roman had no more gotten to the room when Seth and the others returned. Sheamus and Drew were with them.

Hunter quickly again explained about the sudden trip. Sheamus then filled them in on what had happened at Leap. He was also more than happy for the group to take the vehicles to West Amesbury. Sheamus and Drew stayed to help load the vans.

Sheamus lifted the last of Seth's tote boxes into the back of the van. "Well fella, I wish you luck. I'm sorry Leap was a failure. Let me know what happens. Drew and I will come down and pick up the vehicles sometime. Be prayin' for Adam. May the wind be always at your back." He gave Seth a firm hug and kissed his friend's cheek.

"Don't feel bad, Shea. We may learn something yet. I'll be spending the ride listening to the audio. Can't thank you enough for the use of the vehicles. You are a good friend. I'll call you, promise." Seth smiled, returned Sheamus' hug and kiss and bid his two friends farewell.

When Seth walked back into the hotel, the desk clerk flashed him an unhappy frown. Seth just kept going til he was safe in his suite, where the others were gathered. "We may be in trouble. The clerk doesn't look happy." Seth relayed what he'd just seen.

Shawn nodded. "Well, she knows we're packing to leave. We said we'd be here at least three weeks, it's barely been one. Come on, Hunt, we'd better explain... without explaining."

By the time the Helmsley's returned, everyone was ready and all the baggage was loaded. Heath was busy double checking he carnets and passports. They would need them to get into Wales and then England. Seth gave him the vehicles permission papers from Sheamus.

"Well, we're set with the hotel. I told her Adam was very ill and we have to get him to the hospital in London. I know, but I wasn't about to tell her the truth now was I? Let me get Adam ready, then we can leave." Hunter explained with a serious voice. He was extremely worried about moving Adam.

Shawn looked at Bray's boys. "Luke, Erick, we could use your help. You boys can help block Adam from view. Do you mind?" He looked at the two human mountains, brow raised.

Erick Rowan stood six feet eight inches and weighed around three hundred and twenty pounds. His head was bald, but his face boasted a long, bushy reddish brown beard and moustache. He was muscular, lean and not an ounce of fat on his body.

Luke Harper stood six food five and weighed two hundred seventy-five pounds. He too was muscular and had more bulk that Erick. Luke had raven black, shoulder length hair and he too sported a huge bushy beard and moustache. Together they could form a wall that would block Adam from anyone watching.

Of the two, Luke spoke more than Erick. He looked at Shawn. "Of course, we'll do anything to help." His voice was deep, but soft with a full southern drawl. Erick just nodded in agreement, but he smiled under his beard.

Shawn smiled. "Thank you. We're glad you're here. Make yourselves at home around us, we are a big family." He gave the two big men another warm smile, then went to help Hunter.

Hunter had just finished giving Adam an extra strong dose of sedative. Roman gently unfastened the bindings from Adam's wrists and ankles. Tears streamed down his face.

Hunter motioned Shawn over. "He's upset. I told him we have to put Adam in the straight jacket I carry. I'm afraid not to, Shawn. If he wakes up..." His words faded. He felt awful as he pulled the jacket from the bottom of his large medical tote.

The straight jacket wasn't the old fashioned kind made from heavy canvas, it was made of a strong, Kevlar coated nylon. The buckles were thick and strong. Shawn wet them down well with Holy Water.

Hunter, jacket in hand, went over to Roman. "You want me to do it, son? There was a deep sadness in the Physician's voice. Hunter knew the implications of Adam in a straight jacket.

Roman turned his tear stained face to the older man. His eyes scanned the material in Hunter's hands. "No. I'll do it. Can you leave us alone, please?" He took the restraining jacket from Hunter's hands.

Hunter laid a hand on Roman's shoulder. "Of course, but remember, we need to get going." He and Shawn carried the tote of medical supplies between them.

Roman sighed when he heard the door close. He looked at a peacefully sleeping Adam. A few fresh tears tracked down into his beard. Roman reached out and caressed Adam's cheek. He noticed Adam's facial hair was getting rough and scruffy to the touch, his blond hair had lost it's silken sheen, it broke his heart even further. But, Adam was still his pretty boy.

"My sleeping beauty. Oh baby, I know you're in there, fighting. _Keep_ fighting, baby. Keep on..." He paused as he began to put the awful jacket on his husband.

He gently raised Adam up to fasten the buckles behind Adam's back. When he laid Adam back down, Roman sobbed again. In the jacket, Adam's arms were crossed over his chest, he nearly resembled a corpse.

"I'm so sorry, my love. It's to protect you, I hope you can understand that. We're going to take you to Wade's Uncle, he can help you. Hey baby, you will get to see Stonehenge. It's going to be alright, I promise..." Roman stopped talking when he heard a voice in his head.

"Roman, it's me, Grandmother Copeland." The voice was soft and calming. To Roman, it was if she was standing right behind him.

Roman stroked Adam's brow. He spoke in a whisper. "I love him, so much. It kills me to bind him up like... a crazy man." He gave a deep sniff as he tucked a bit of dull blond hair behind Adam's ear.

"I know you do. He loves you, so very much. You're doing the right thing, Roman. He could be dangerous, you're protecting him. I wish I could get to him. What ever has him is ancient. Roman, don't give up... don't... giv..." Adam's grandmother's words faded from Roman's mind. Roman felt her warmth surround him. It gave him the courage and strength he needed.

"I'll never give up." Roman spoke with a renewed confidence. He pulled a blanket up over Adam. No one needed to see the horrid jacket.

Roman gently picked up an unconscious Adam and carried him out to the main room. Bray, Luke and Erick, along with Mark and Wade followed Roman out into the hallway. Once in the hall, the five walking mountains made a wall around Roman and Adam. They walked through the lobby and out to the parking lot where the vehicles were waiting.

Roman settled into a seat and kept Adam in his lap. He felt safer holding Adam in his arms than putting him on the floor of the van. Jason sat next to Roman and put Adam's feet in his lap. Heath sat next to Jason. Their faces were like carved stone. Jason was especially worried, he felt responsible for Adam, just like when they were children, and Jason protected him from the bullies that didn't understand how special Adam was.

"His grandmother spoke to me. She can't get to him. Told me not to give up." Roman muttered as Mark drove them out of the parking lot. They had to hurry to make the last ferry of the night to Wales.

When they arrived at Rosslare Harbor, there were only two other cars on the ferry with them.

Normally, everyone would have gotten out and walked around, to watch the moonlit Irish Sea. Everyone was too worried about Adam to care about the scenery.

Adam hadn't moved, but Roman knew he was alright. Adam's breathing was steady. Hunter checked his vitals to be sure.

"He's resting peacefully. I think he knows he's in your arms." Hunter spoke softly. He gave Roman a pat on the shoulder.

"We'll look for someplace to pull over when we get to Wales. We have to stretch." Shawn added his thoughts. Roman just nodded and held his Adam close. It was more like holding a broken doll, held together with strips of cloth and tape. It was a heart breaking feeling.

When the ferry docked, the two black vehicles drove on. In the dark of the night they found a lay-by and stopped. Shawn stayed with Adam while Roman very briefly stretched his legs. Mark and Wad looked at the map they had laid out on a nearby picnic table. Flashlights lit the map like daylight.

Wade pointed out West Amesbury. "It's a long drive. Hunter?" He looked hard at the Physician.

Hunter knew what Wade was asking. "I hope so. I can't give him any more, it's too dangerous. I hope your Uncle is prepared for what we're bringing to him."

Wade nodded. "He is. We'd better get going. Remember, drive left." He gave Mark a wink and folded the map.

Roman settled Adam back into his lap. A constant reminder of Adam's predicament, the buckle of the straight jacket rubbed against his abdomen.

The two black vehicles sped down the A 48 to the border of Wales and England. Wade expertly led the way to the M4, the main artery of the Untied Kingdom. They had to stop for fuel a couple of hours later.

There was a moment of worry when Adam let out a whimper and restlessly stirred in Roman's arms. Hunter had stayed in the van while the others stretched.

The Physician took Adam's vitals while Roman spoke softly to his husband. The moment of panic had passed, Adam settled back into his deep, sedated sleep. Both Hunter and Roman were relieved.

By the time they neared West Amesbury, the sun was starting to come up. It was going to be a beautiful, sunny day. The early morning sky were the pastel colors of pink and yellow, so soft compared to the hard task ahead.

They were so concentrated, the two black vehicles passed Stonehenge without a single notice from the passengers.

Heath and Evan had fallen asleep in the arms of Jason and Chris. Seth was too anxious to sleep. He'd tried to listen to the recording from Leap but it was just too noisy in with the sounds of the vehicle engine and the tires on the road. He longed for a nice, quiet place to work.

Wade turned down a one lane road, surrounded by a well trimmed box hedge. He turned down another lane, this one too was lined with hedges, but they weren't trimmed. The hedges scraped against the vehicles as they drove.

Everyone was taken aback. Wade had stopped in front of a house that looked as ancient as the land. They had arrived at Regal Manner.


	26. The Battle Turns to War

A rather handsome, older man with a mop of unruly blond hair, dressed in a white robe stood on the front steps of the three story, stone manor house. He wore a warm smile of welcome on his face. His face also held something, wisdom and power, great power.

Everyone but Roman, Adam and Hunter got out of the vehicles. They watched as Wade and his Uncle embraced. Wade then introduced Mark. "Uncle, this is my fiancé, Mark Calaway. Mark, my Uncle, The Grand Wizard, William Regal." Wade couldn't stop the smile, not only was he proud of Mark, he was glad to be back in the home where he'd grown up.

Mark gave a deep bow of respect. "My honor to meet you. We can't thank you enough for your offer of help. I'm afraid it is a rather desperate situation." He didn't mince his words. He wanted to get Adam safely inside, before the demon awoke.

William nodded. "Yes, Wade explained. Where is the dear boy?"

"Still in the van. Uncle, these are my friend. I'm sorry there are so many of us," Wade cast his Uncle a sheepish, guilty look.

William laughed. "It's fine... " he paused and looked at the group of exhausted ghost hunters. "You are all welcome. We shall meet each other properly at tea. Wade, take them inside, Paige and Sandow will show everyone to their rooms. Make yourselves at home, but please, do not go to the third floor." Regal waved to the large front door. Two dragons were carved into the wooden doors. They were so well done, it looked like they could come to life at any moment. There was also a large, brass dragon door knocker in the center of the right door panel.

Seth stepped forward. "Thank you, Sir. Can I use my computer in the house?" He wondered if such an old house even had electricity, let alone internet.

Regal laughed. "It only looks old. Yes, every room has modern service. I have have cable television! Paige! Sandow!" Regal spoke loudly as he opened the door.

A pretty, young girl with pale skin and long black hair, neatly pulled back, appeared. She wore a long, black Victorian style dress with a snow white apron. Next, a tall man, with well trimmed, short black hair, beard and moustache joined the girl. He too was dressed in black and looked like he had stepped out the pages of a Victorian era fashion magazine.

"Gentlemen, If you will follow me. Your luggage will be attended to." Sandow spoke in a haughty tone, but his smile was kind and friendly. Seth grabbed his computer bag as he followed the butler and maid into the house with the others. Mark, Wade and Shawn remained with William.

Roman saw the others enter the house. With Hunter's help, he carried his still sleeping, husband and got out of the van. Roman's legs were unsteady from sitting so long with Adam in his lap. He stumbled, before he dropped Adam, William took the demon infested man into his arms.

Wade placed a hand on Roman's shoulder when the Islander had started to protest. "It's alright. Let Uncle carry him. Come on, he has a room prepared." Wade indicated for Roman to follow his Uncle. He led Mark, Shawn and Hunter into his childhood home.

Wade sighed as he stepped inside. It was as if he'd never left. Nothing seemed to have changed. Even though the walls and floors were stone, the manor was warm and inviting. A long carpet ran down the hall. Doors on either side led to various rooms.

The first floor had a large kitchen, formal dining room, library, morning room, half bath and a parlour. The second floor had twenty bedrooms, and five full bathrooms spread over two wings. Wade's old bedroom was at the end of the west wing and had a fantastic view of Stonehenge.

However, they continued to the third floor. Wade himself had only been to the third floor a handful of times. It was where his Uncle lived and where his work as a Wizard was done. There were more than a few rooms Wade had never even been in. It was in one of those rooms they now entered.

The large room had several floor to ceiling windows, but they were covered with heavy, black velvet draperies. The room was lit by gas wall lamps. The electricity had stopped on the second floor. It was like they had left the modern world and gone back to Victorian times.

William carried Adam to a king sized, four poster bed. The bed frame was made of dark walnut. The wood was covered with carvings of ancient symbols. Wade recognized some of them, others he didn't. The ones he did know where symbols of protection.

William gently laid Adam down on the luxurious feather bed. "Remove that." He looked at Roman and indicted to the straight jacket.

Hunter set down his medical bag and scanned the room. A huge stone fireplace took up part of the northern wall. Two stone dragons with their wings expanded made the base for the black marble mantelpiece.

A long table was against the eastern wall, the table was littered with scrolls, books, and alchemist equipment. Several large, thick candles in brass stands lit the area. The Physician also noticed the room smelled thickly of the sage Wade often used.

Shawn too, glanced around their surroundings. He was surprised to see that a large, intricately carved Celtic cross hung on the wall over the bed. It was made of solid silver and one of the most beautiful crosses he'd ever seen.

The artwork that hung on the walls depicted fantastic scenes of mystic creatures like unicorns and dragons, beautiful witches, and handsome Wizards. The artwork was colorful and gave the room a strangely positive feeling.

The Preacher know this room had a purpose, he just wasn't sure what that purpose was. He stopped wondering when Hunter tapped his shoulder. Roman had removed the confining jacket. Shawn took it from him. "How is he?" Shawn enquired as he folded the nylon jacket.

Roman sat on the side of the bed and gently rubbed Adam's arms. "Fine. He's still sound asleep." He never took his eyes off his husband.

Hunter moved to check Adam's vitals again. He was stopped by William. "No. You have cared for him, very well, but now you _must_ let me do the caring. He is beyond any help you can provide. Do not fear, this is not the first time I've dealt with the bedevilled." He spoke firmly as he raised the hood of his robe.

Wade saw the look of doubt that crossed Hunter's face. "It's alright, Hunter. _Trust_ my Uncle. You and Shawn need to rest. Go down to he second floor. Sandow will show you to your room. Please?" Wade had removed a Wizard's robe from the wardrobe that stood in the southeast corner of the room. He slipped into as he spoke. He then found a black robe for Mark. All the robes had extremely intricate embroidery in silver and gold threads.

Hunter gave Wade an exasperated look, but he couldn't be rude. "Alright, but I want to know when he wakes up. He's been heavily drugged for a long time and I need to check him." Hunter bit back his annoyance when Shawn took his hand.

"Trust us, _please_. I'll call you when he wakes. Please, Hunter... Paige?" He spoke in earnest to the Helmsley's then called for the maid.

"Of course we trust you, Wade. We know how hard this is for you. Your Uncle seems like a nice man. Thank you, Wade." Shawn gave the Wizard a warm hug. Hunter shook Wade's hand. They went downstairs to where the maid and butler waited.

Shawn and Hunter were soon getting settled into a large, airy room. It too, was Victorian in style. A velvet couch and two velvet chairs sat in front of a huge stone fireplace. The velvets were of a deep navy blue. Matching drapes hung on the windows. The king sizes four poster bed also had blue velvet covers. The wood was the same dark walnut, but there were no carvings in the wood. Instead it was polished to a near glass-like sheen.

Shawn had started to unpack and put their clothes in the large dresser and wardrobe of the same highly polished dark walnut. Hunter sat on the bed with a sigh. "Shawn, why are we trusting Adam to someone who thinks he's Gandalf or Dumbledore? This isn't Hogwarts...that's fiction, but this place..." He waved his hands in frustration.

"Well, if I didn't know Wade, I'd agree with you. We have seen him do things we can't explain. I mean even _you_ don't know how he makes fire with his hands. As hard as it is for me to admit, magic is real, or at least some of it. We trust Wade. He won't let harm come to Adam. Now help me, I want to rest." Shawn spoke firmly. A long list of things went against his beliefs, but he also know some of the Wizardry was very real.

Seth and Dean's quarters was similar to the Helmsley's, but instead of blue, the color scheme of their room was red and gold. Dean unpacked their clothing while Seth set up an area to analyze the Leap Castle live feed data.

"I hope there is something..." Seth's words faded as he placed his headset on. He smiled when Dean gave him a thumbs up.

Bray, Luke and Erick had put their bags in their room to be unpacked later. They had driven into the bigger town of Amesbury to turn in the car they had rented in Wales. Bray wanted to do it before noon, to avoid a charge for another day. Erick had driven one of the black vans so they would have a way back to Regal Manor. They just hoped the police didn't stop them as they hadn't gotten the required driving permit, there just hadn't been time.

Bray hoped to find a shop that sold antique books. He wanted to find something that would help Adam. His boys followed silently behind him. Luke and Erick didn't understand much about their lover's world of paranormal studies. What they did know, was that Bray was beyond worried about Adam. They would do whatever they could to bring their lover comfort.

Back at Regal Manor, Chris and Evan were curled up in their king sized bed. Their room was decorated in deep forest green and a light gray that resembled sliver. Chris ran his fingers through Evan's short, raven black hair. Evan's head rested on Chris' chest, his fingers traced the lines of Chris' abdominal muscles. They didn't speak, words weren't needed. Their thoughts were up on the third floor, with Adam. They drifted off into a calm, peaceful sleep, knowing Adam was in capable hands.

Upstairs, Roman still sat on the side of the bed. He held Adam's hand and with his other hand gently stroked Adam's temple. His eyes were wide with anxious worry. His brow was wrinkled with the same concern and his lips carved a deep frown in his face.

Mark, Wade and William sat at the table. William read from a scroll that, while ancient in appearance, was still in good, readable condition. The writing was in ancient Gaelic. Mark flipped through a leather bound book about Celtic demons. Wade too read a scroll. It was filled with alchemy formulas in his Uncle's handwriting.

"What makes you think it's a Celtic demon?" Mark finally spoke as he looked across the candle lit table. He made direct eye contact with William.

William removed his thin, wire framed reading glasses and wiped them with the sleeve of his robe. "Leap, itself is Celtic in origin. It would make sense. The thing is why? Did it feel a threat from Adam? Or did it feel a connection with him? My theory is the latter. Something about Adam connected with Leap and its spiritual residents. Gentlemen, if this _is_ the case..." he let his words trail off when he saw Mark nod.

Wade looked from Mark to his Uncle. He turned to look at Roman and Adam. "That must _not_ happen, Uncle. I will do _whatever_ I have to, I won't let that... thing keep Adam's soul." Wades tone was full of anger.

"Those are powerful words, Nephew. However, I _will_ support you. I'm _glad_ you are here, its been _too_ long. The family was wrong to shun you, and I told them so. You have chosen your mate well. Mark, welcome to the family. When do you join in marriage?" William asked as he sat back in his chair. He pressed his fingers together and rested his chin on them.

Wade smiled softly. "Thank you, Uncle. Your support means the world to me. Our souls chose one another. As soon as things are... I can't even _think_ about marriage until Adam is back with us." He looked at Mark as he spoke.

"Wade is right, only thing that matters now is Adam. I hope Seth learns something useful. However, if things... I know Wade would love to marry, here, at home." Mark reached over and gave Wade's cheek a gentle brush with his fingers.

William smiled at the love between his Nephew and Mark. He reached over and laid his hand on Wade's shoulder, he closed his eyes. William's eyes flew open. "Oh my god..." he looked at Wade with shock on his face.

Wade looked at his Uncle. He knew what had happened. "I'm alright, Uncle. Please, I'll tell you about it later. I will say this, I wouldn't have recovered without Mark." Wade knew his Uncle had read his past soul, and saw his rape in the cornfield.

Before any more could be said, the three men turned to face the bed. Adam had let out a pained whimper. They got up and went to the bed.

Adam's head tossed as his eyes began to flutter open. Roman held fast to Adam's hand. He watched carefully, would Adam's eyes open and be their normal, beautiful hazel or the demon filled black?

"Baby?" Roman asked with hope filled eyes and a smile on his face. He wanted Adam to know he was safe when he opened his eyes.

Adam's hand went to his forehead. "Hurts... bad... Ro... man?" His voice was barely a whisper, but it was Adam, not the demon.

"I'm right here, my Viking. I love you." Roman brought Adam's hand to his lips and kissed it.

Adam lowered the hand that covered his eyes. He squinted against the bright candle light from the huge candle that sat on the bedside table. He looked at Roman and manged to pull his lips into a weak smile.

"Love... you... why... do I... feel...so... sick? Head... really... hurts..." Adam whispered as he kept his gaze on his husband.

Mark reached down and laid his hand on top of Adam's head. "Don't worry about it. You just concentrate on staying with us." He spoke calmly but was slightly wary, this could be a demon's heartless trick.

Adam turned to look at Mark. He wrinkled his brow. "Where... am... I... why... are... you... here?" He fought to speak, his throat was so dry and it burned like the desert sun. There was a man with Mark and Wade he didn't recognize.

Roman stroked Adam's cheek. "Baby, this is Wade's Uncle, William Regal and this is his house. Where Wade grew up, remember when he told us about it? We came here to help you. Don't you remember? You were..." Roman was cut off the the sound of Wade clearing his throat. Roman gave him a glance of understanding.

Roman spoke again to his husband. "You're sick, baby. We came here so you could rest better. Hey, when you're feeling better, I'll take you out on the balcony. You can see Stonehenge. Please baby, just rest. You will feel better _soon_ , I _swear_ it." He bent down and kissed Adam's brow.

Adam moved to turn on his side to face Roman. He let out a whimper of pain, and a tear rolled down his cheek and vanished into his beard. "Shoulders... hurt... head... pounds... need..." Adam began to gag, as if to vomit. William quickly grabbed a small rubbish bin that was near the table. He handed it to Roman.

Just as the bin was in place, Adam did indeed vomit. Roman held Adam's hair out of the way, and cast Mark a wide eyed look of fear. Roman knew a demon could cause severe illness, to further weaken the body they possessed. It was a sign that the demon was growing stronger.

William went to the fireplace. He pulled a cord of golden silk rope. Almost instantly Sandow entered the bedroom. "Fetch Doctor Helmsley, quickly." William ordered the Butler with a nod. Just as fast as he appeared, Sandow vanished.

Adam threw up again. Because he hadn't eaten, it was mostly liquid because of the IV. His face turned red, a light sweat broke out on his brow.

William went to the en suite bathroom. He grabbed a soft wash cloth and wet it. He also took a matching towel. Adam was still vomiting when he handed Roman the cloth and towel. William then noticed his nephew was chanting silently to himself. He knew the chant and joined in. Both Wizards now chanted the ancient words of healing.

Roman gently wiped Adam's brow. Adam had laid back down, unable to throw up anymore. Hunter came into the room, his medical bag in hand. Roman moved so Hunter could sit. He went around the bed and sat on the other side of his beloved husband.

Hunter smiled at Adam. "Hey, son. Not feeling so good?" He wrapped the blood pressure cuff around Adam's arm. As he took the reading, Shawn came into the room. He went to Hunter's side, a worried wrinkle on his brow.

"'Head... exploding... shoulders...ache... bad" Adam whispered in an even more extremely hoarse voice. Every time he spoke his voice grew harsher and look in his eyes begged for help. The bags under his eyes were dark, almost bruises. His skin was so pale Adam nearly blended in with the white sheets, and his veins were clearly visible.

"Shawn, get one of his migraine injections. That will help, son. You've been in a very deep sleep. You've also ridden nearly eleven hours in a van, we are all a bit achy. Don't fret, old Doc Hunter will fix you up." He kept his tone light. He didn't want Adam to know about the forced sedation and straight jacket, no need to stress him further.

Shawn found the prefilled migraine injection and broke it open. He handed it to Hunter. Adam winced when the small needle stabbed into his skin. He always hated shots even though he knew the medicine would help.

Hunter finished his exam. "Everything is fine, son. Just a bit of a rough trip. You'll be back on your feet soon and enjoying England. Try to sleep, it's best thing for you. Roman?" He smiled at Adam, then looked at Roman. They went into the bathroom to talk.

In the mean time, Shawn was finally able to do something to help Adam, make him more comfortable. The Preacher, with Wade's help, got Adam into a soft, cozy pair of light blue cotton pajamas. Shawn was glad Adam either didn't notice, or didn't care about the light bruising that was around his wrists and ankles. Apparently, Adam had no memory of being restrained.

In the bathroom, Hunter spoke to Roman. "He doesn't seem to remember why he is so ill. Could the demon be gone?" He asked with hope.

Roman shook his head sadly. "I doubt it. It's just resting, to gather strength. Memory blocking happens, quite often. Oh Hunter, I'm _really_ scared. If Seth can't find anything..." Both started when they heard Mark shout.

"LET HIM GO!" Marks voice was loud, commanding and full of anger. Roman and Hunter raced into the bedroom.

Hunter's eyes went wide with horror. Adam stood on the bed, his hands around Shawn's throat. Shawn was dangling off the bed as the demon held him. Shawn's face was turning a bluish purple. Mark, Wade and William were trying to pry Adam's hands from Shawn's neck, with no luck.

The demon in Adam had returned in full force. Adam's eyes were once again black with red pupils. His lips were peeled back in an angry snarl. His tongue flicked over his teeth and lips like a snake. Deep growls rumbled out. His hands were like claws as he held Shawn in the air by his throat.

Shawn had struggled at first, but now he was limp and motionless. The discoloring of his face deepened. If Adam didn't let go, Shawn was in danger of dying.

Hunter could see the danger Shawn was in, and the anger boiled up inside his soul. He knew it was dangerous, but the whole reason for his existence was dying before his eyes.

Hunter grabbed his medical bag with shaking hands, filled a syringe with an extreme dose of sedative. The demon growled and howled when he felt the needle jab into his thigh. He began to shake Shawn like a rag doll. It was a tense sixty seconds, but the drug finally took hold.

Adam fell onto the bed in heap,while Shawn lay half on, half off the bed.

Chaos ensued.

Hunter grabbed Shawn. Roman and the three other men grabbed Adam. William retrieved a pair of iron restraints. The demon infested Adam was soon chained to the bed by his wrists and ankles.

Adam had succumbed to the drug, but his breaths came in rapid pants and the occasional shadow of a low growl passed over his lips.

"Iron will hold him." William muttered under his breath. He, Mark and Wade took deep breaths. Adam's change had been as quick as lightning. They gathered once more around the table, mainly to get out of the way.

Roman was torn, he finally left Adam went to help Hunter. Shawn hadn't moved. Hunter had laid his husband on the floor and knelt beside him. He felt for a pulse. When he felt nothing he began mouth to mouth resuscitation.

Roman held his breath as Hunter worked to breathe life back into his husband. Guilt tore at Roman's soul. This whole thing had been his idea. To investigate an ancient haunted castle in the center of the paranormal world. His eyes were like a bug's as he watched helplessly.

Shawn suddenly began to cough as life giving air filled his lungs. Hunter wept with relief as Shawn's face returned to its normal color. Shawn's turquoise eyes fluttered open. His throat burned like fire as he swallowed.

"Welcome back, Shawnnie. Can you breathe alright?" Hunter asked as he counted Shawn's pulse at the wrist. He couldn't help but smile, so thankful Shawn had come back to him.

Shawn coughed again, his hand went to his throat. His skin was badly bruised, but only one thought entered his mind. "Adam?"

"I sedated him again. What the hell happened?" Hunter asked as he helped Shawn to sit up. Roman still knelt next to Shawn in guilt ridden silence.

"I was tucking... him in... and... that... quickly he... was a demon... again. Oh... Hunter... I thought... I... was going... to die..." his voice was harsh. He looked at Hunter with love.

"I'm so sorry Shawn. This whole thing is _my_ fault. It was all my idea to come here. Please, Shawn, try to remember it wasn't my Adam that... I'm sorry..." He buried his face in his hands. He didn't sob, but he was close to it. Emotions ran through Roman's body like a flood.

Shawn gave another raspy cough. "Stop it. We _all_ wanted to be here. I know that's _not_ our Adam. I should have hidden my cross. I'm sure the demon saw it. I'm alright... well, will be. We need to concentrate on Adam. Bruises will heal." His voice was still extremely hoarse and raspy.

Hunter grabbed Shawn and held him close. He then gave Shawn a kiss. "I order you to go downstairs and rest. You were actually... just... please, honey, go rest. Adam will be out for a while. Please?" He gave Shawn another gentle peck on the lips.

With help from Hunter and Roman, Shawn managed to stand. He was a bit shaky on his feet. "Come on, I'll go with you. Roman, I will be right back." Hunter wrapped his arm around Shawn's waist. Together they left the room. Roman moved one of the chairs so he could sit next to the bed. He gently caressed Adam's temple.

Mark, Wade and William had regained their composure. "That was fast. It's getting more control. Adam is in grave danger of being lost; forever. Wade, we may have _one_ hope. There is a cast, but, it's worse for the Wizard than the victim. I don't have the strength any more, not with my heart..." William spoke so softly, Wade had to strain to hear his Uncle's words.

Wade looked at the scroll William had opened. Mark looked over the age encrusted parchment. It was written in ancient Irish, but someone had translated it, not into English, but Latin. His eyes went wide, and he let out a slight gasp. Mark had heard of the spell, and knew it was dangerous more for the caster than the person possessed.

"William are you sure you want to do this. I thought of it back in Ireland, but dismissed it as a very last resort." Mark whispered to his future in-law. He had not heard William speak to Wade.

Wade uncharacteristically grabbed Mark's hands in his. "No, love. Uncle can't do this cast, his heat isn't strong enough. I will do it, and love, before you protest, I _must_ do it. For Adam, Mark. I owe him. I can finally repay him, in full. I might have died in that cornfield if he hadn't led you to me. Please, Mark. I've trained and studied for a moment like this all my life. It's for Adam, Mark, my dearest love, for Adam." Wade squeezed Mark's hands tightly. He begged with his dark eyes. He'd never really asked Mark for anything, but this he did.

Mark looked into Wade's pleading eyes. He would do nothing that would bring Wade harm, but he couldn't deny him this. He knew Wade had wanted some way to repay Adam. As much as he hated the idea, he nodded in agreement.

"I can't tell you no, nor what you can or can't do. I want you to be absolutely sure, before you cast anything. I love you, Wade and I am not prepared to have to talk to you through Adam. William, I place my life and love in your hands." Mark barely spoke above a whisper. He fairly glared at William.

William took no umbrage at Mark's words. He was happy that Mark protected Wade so strongly. "I can see how much you love my nephew, that pleases me. You certainly have earned my respect and my blessing. Do not fret, I will teach him what he needs to know. Roman is finally sleeping." William whispered with a nod to the Islander. He got up and pulled the cord once again.

Roman had indeed fallen asleep. His head rested against Adam's thigh, one hand on Adam's chest over his heart. Roman never stirred when the door to the bedroom opened. Sandow appeared in his full Victorian resplendence.

"Sandow, we shall have tea in the library. Have Paige inform our guests." William instructed with a nod to the butler.

"Yes, Your Lordship." Sandow bowed and left the room. He moved in utter silence.

"If you don't mind, I'll stay here with Roman." Mark said quietly as Wade stood to join his Uncle.

"Of course, I'll have tea sent up to you. Wade, come. I want to give you something before we go down for tea." William said he walked toward the door. He smiled as Mark and Wade kissed. He could feel the depth of their love. It warmed his soul.

Wade followed his Uncle to a closed door at the end of a long hallway that led to the west wing. William used an old iron key that hung on his belt. Wade knew this was his Uncle's private chamber. He'd never been allowed into the room before. He reverently stepped into the chamber behind his Uncle.

A large desk, littered with papers, candles, jars and bottles sat under a window. The window had the most perfect view of Stonehenge. The walls were nothing but shelves and niches crammed with books, scrolls and other papers. There were also racks of herbs, flowers and greenery in various stages of being dried and preserved. Among the herbs, Wade recognized the sage from the ancient family sage bushes. There were jars of earth, salts and water. The room smelled of old parchment, herbs, and bees wax.

"Welcome to my sanctuary. So now you know where I spent all my time when you were young. It's time for me to let you read my Grimoire, or rather the family Grimoire." William went to his desk. He picked up a thick, antiquarian book with a leather cover. Years of handling had stained the leather so much it was black.

William held the book out to Wade. The younger man was almost afraid to touch the family tome. However, he took it. He could feel the power the book contained. Tooled in the leather cover were the words: _BOOK OF SHADOWS_.

Wade knew the book contained all the family history of their Wizardry. It was written first by Wade's Druid ancestors up to the last author, William. The book contained the sum total of all the Regal family's magikal knowledge. It included spells, curses, the ways of herbs, potion formulas, recipes for salves, there was also information about other species, and how to handle them in different ways. The knowledge in the family Grimoire was priceless. It was heavy in Wade's hand and not from it's physical weight but from it's almighty power.

"I'm... not worthy, Uncle. This is your life's work. It _must_ go to your heir. I don't think cousin Tom would like it." Wade tried to hand the family Grimoire back to his Uncle.

William gave Wade a sly grin. "I just gave it to my heir. Wade, son, it has _always_ been you. No one else in the family comes close. You've been the only one to truly study the ways of our ancestors. You've been the only one to hone your skills to the highest level. You _are_ worthy Wade Alexander. Take it, _study_ it you _will_ need it as you prepare to cast the most important spell of your life." He gently pushed the tome back into Wade's hands with a firm expression on his face.

Wade's eyes grew wide and he fought to keep his jaw from dropping like a blithering idiot. He reverently took the book. "I'm... no, Uncle. I appreciate that you think so highly of me but the family..." He was halted by William.

"Has accepted my decision. It's in my will, and they _won't_ contest it. One day, this will be yours, all of it. Now, lets not keep tea waiting. It will be your last peaceful moment." William led Wade out of the room. Wade cradled the Grimoire in his arms, like he was carrying a newborn babe.

Wade had just finished properly introducing his Uncle to the College Hill Ghost Hunters. They sat down in the comfortable velvet covered chairs and leather sofas in the library. The shelves in the room were stuffed, floor to ceiling with books, scrolls, and bottles, jars and vials of sage and other spell components.

Paige and Damien had prepared sandwiches, pastries and a pot of wonderful smelling tea. William poured and the two servants served. Everyone suddenly jumped when Seth came into the room.

Seth had stayed upstairs to finish listening to the live feed data. He was out of breath but obviously excited. "I've got it! I've _got_ it! The Priest gave the name just before he vanished. At least he gave a name!" Seth was halted by Wade.

" _No_! Do _not_ speak it!" Wade spoke sharply as he nearly dumped his plate and cup of tea in his lap.

Before Seth could respond, a faint crash was heard from somewhere upstairs.

" _HELP!_ " they heard Mark's voice call out. Tea cups shattered along with plates as they fell out of hands. Everyone followed Wade and William out of the library. If Mark screamed for help, it had to be bad.

When they got to the room on the third floor, hearts stopped beating. The two servants had also followed after their Master and his guests.

Adam was completely gone. While the iron bonds held him down, the heavy bed thumped as it rose up off the floor then fell again. Adam's fingernails had grown into sharp claws. His snarling lips revealed fang like teeth. The black eyes had sunken even deeper as the pupils burned red. His skin had changed to an almost scaly texture.

The battle for Adam's soul was beyond a war now. It had turned into an apocalypse.


	27. The War Turns to an Apocalypse

_**A/N: Apocalypse:** A prophecy predicting a cataclysm in which evil forces are destroyed. **SLUAGH:** (_ _ _SLOO-UH-SHEE)_ Soul hunters that were miserable sinners before death. _

All hell had broken loose, in the form of the demon that had over taken Adam. No one knew quite what to do. The appearance of the writhing creature that was once their beloved leader had stolen their reflexes and their words.

Mark pointed to the floor. He muttered an ancient chant under his breath. Hunter looked, Roman was lying, motionless on the floor. The Physician went into action, as did Shawn.

Sandow suddenly appeared, Hunter's medical bag in his hand. Had the man not been panting, with a bead of sweat on his brow, Shawn would have sworn the butler had appeared magically. Shawn opened up the medical bag, ready to hand Hunter anything he asked for.

Hunter knelt down next to Roman, Shawn at his side. He immediately went to work to revive Roman. The Physician almost smiled, Roman had only fainted, Hunter had feared the worst.

William turned to his nephew's friends. He then looked at the parlour maid. "Paige, please take our guests and continue with tea. Before any of you protest, there is _nothing_ here you can do. What has to be done is too dangerous, this is _not_ a spectator sport. I know you love Adam, and want to help, but there is nothing you can do but wait. I'm sorry to have to say that. If you truly want to help, leave us to do what we must do to bring Adam back. We will do our best. Seth is it?" William looked at the terrified and anxious faces of Adam's friends. His last gaze fell on Seth.

"Yes, Seth. Seth Rollins." Seth stepped forward on his shaking legs. He looked at William, brow raised.

"Go over to the table and write down what you heard, please." William nodded to the scroll littered table. He then joined in with Mark. He knew the words and mentally praised Mark for thinking so quickly.

With great reluctance, Chris, Evan, Heath and Jason left the room. It took both Heath and Chris to pull Jason out of the room. Jason wasn't fighting, he was simply too numb to move. Dean waited for Seth. Paige escorted Chris, Evan, Heath and Jason downstairs. Sandow waited for further instructions.

Seth dipped a raven feather quill into a bottle of ink. He wrote down the name the spirit of the Leap Monk had spoken. He wrote it phonetically and hoped it made sense. It sounded like _SLOO-UH-SHEE,_ it was the best he could do. He replaced the quill into the brass dragon ink well and quill holder. Seth cast another glance at Adam. It made him want to throw up.

The demon felt Seth's gaze and turned to look at him. He gnashed his teeth and hideously licked his lips like a lecher. "He hated you. He laughed at your ideas. He _laughed_ at you." The demon broke out in the most diabolical laugh Seth had ever heard. The breath that spewed from Adam's mouth was noxious. Seth gagged as he grabbed Dean's hand and ran out of the room. He couldn't stand it any more.

Dean stopped when they reached the landing of the second floor. Seth was crying, something Dean had only seen Seth do a handful of times. It wasn't a few tears, Seth was sobbing like a lost child.

Dean pulled Seth into his arms. He wasn't great with situations like this, but he knew Seth was hurting, scared and worried. Dean felt the same way himself. It was truly hard to see it when the person possessed was someone you cared about.

"It wasn't really Adam, babe. Adam would _never_ laugh at you. He loves all things you do." Dean wasn't sure what to say. He felt so inadequate.

Seth sniffed and wiped his face with the him of his shirt. "I know, I understand that but... oh fuck... that... thing... will Adam be alright? Dean... I... have... to..." He slapped his hand over his mouth, and gagged. A bit of vomit leaked between his fingers. Dean quickly rushed his lover to the bathroom a few steps away.

In the bedroom on the third floor, Roman was still unconscious. Hunter looked up at Mark. "What the hell happened?" He firmly rubbed Roman's arms to get the circulation going faster.

William nodded, indicating for Mark to stop chanting and answer. He looked at Wade. Wade picked up the chant exactly where Mark left off. The chant wasn't for Adam; it was to protect themselves. The longer the chant continued, the stronger the protection.

Had Roman been filming with his FLIR camera, he would have caught the atmospheric barrier the Wizard's chanting created. This was one time when recording wasn't even thought of.

Paige had brought a pot of hot tea, she figured they would need it. Paige poured a cup and handed it to Mark, he took a sip of tea to quench his chant parched throat. Wade and William continued the chant. Mark swallowed and spoke.

"Roman was sleeping, as was Adam. I was out on the balcony, smoking a cigar, looking at Stonehenge in the afternoon sun. I heard Seth yell, 'I've got it', then next thing I knew, Roman screamed out Adam's name. I ran back into the room, and in a blink of an eye, Adam... morphed into what you see now. A mirror flew off the wall and shattered. When the bed first lifted into the air, Roman just... passed out. I yelled for help, then immediately began the chant of protection. I'm thankful Wade taught it to me." Mark told what happened as the bed continued to thump up and down.

The creature in the bed continued to growl and gnash its teeth. It opened and closed its hands, the claw nails clicked together. Vile words and putrid breath passed over Adam's dry, cracked and bleeding lips. The scaly patches on his skin had increased. It was both horrible and pitiful. Was Adam lost, to never return?

Shawn had cracked open a vial of smelling salts for Hunter. Hunter took the vial and waved it under Roman's nose. It had no effect on the Islander.

Hunter frowned."He's shut himself down mentally. I'm actually not surprised. I can't even begin to imagine what he's going through. Perhaps it's for the best right now." Hunter gave Roman's brow a fatherly caress as he spoke. There was a profound sadness in Hunter's voice. His eyes told the same. Though he didn't shed them, tears gleamed in Hunter's eyes as he looked at Adam.

William and Wade continued the chant so Mark could speak further. "I think you're right. Hunter, you and Shawn take him to your room. Look, Wade is going to cast a very complex and dangerous spell. It's more dangerous to Wade than to Adam." He spoke with a slight tremble to his voice.

Hunter opened his mouth to protest, but an evil laugh from the demon inside Adam stopped him. It was the most maniacal sound he'd uttered yet. It sent rivers of chills up the spines of the conscious men in the room. The laughter dissolved into a wretched, low throated growl as he barred his fanged teeth. Fresh drops of blood stained his beard as Adam's lips cracked open as they pulled back.

The demon filled the room with his asphyxiating breath. Because Mark stood next to the bed, he had to use the sleeve of his robe to cover his face to keep from gagging. The demon's breath was more noxious than the smell of a thousand rotting corpses.

Shawn laid a hand on his husband's arm. "I believe Mark. Roman doesn't need to be here. He will need us, badly, when he does wake up. I'm sure your time to help Adam will come. We need to find a pharmacy, we need some new supplies." He gave Hunter a look of love and support.

William looked at Mark. The Demonologist took over the chant from the elder Wizard. William spoke. "There is a chemists on Main Street, the only one. Ask for Rey Mysterio, yes, I know, but trust me. Tell him I sent you, he will supply what ever you need. He's a White Warlock, he is familiar with... special needs. You can trust him. Now, please, tell the others, they _must_ stay _out_ of this room, no _matter_ _what_ they or you may hear. Swear it, on your Collar of Clergy." William gave Shawn a serious glare.

Shawn looked William directly in the eye. "Yes, I swear it. Just... Adam is precious... please, bring him back." His raspy voice was still slightly affected by the internal and external bruises.

No more words were spoken between the Helmsley's and the magic users. The demon had renewed it's bedevilled laughter. The bed increased in rising and falling. The thumps were loud, and it only made the demon laugh more.

Hunter stood, as did Shawn. Between them they managed to get the unconscious Roman to his feet. It was a struggle, but they managed to drag-walk him to their bedroom.

Shawn deftly changed Roman into a pair of Hunter's sleeping pants and t-shirt. Roman stirred once and in a heartbreaking voice, whimpered for Adam. The sound made Shawn tear up, but he didn't cry. Emotions were all over the place.

"Hunter, is he going to be alright? I... what... to see Adam turn into... oh, it's too much." Shawn sank down into a velvet covered chair and put his face in his hands. His shoulders shook as violently as the bed the demon controlled.

Hunter sat on the arm of the chair and wrapped his husband in his arms. He didn't speak, he had no answers to give. No matter how many times had they seen this same grief in others didn't matter when it was one of your own.

Upstairs, in the demon plagued bedroom, the preparations to cast out the demon had begun. Mark had built a huge fire in the great stone fireplace. The demon growled and clicked its clawed nails. The bed had stopped thumping, at least for now.

"You shall not get rid of me. This soul is gone, lost, forgotten in the depths of the underworld..." the demons words turned into a malevolent laughter and more of its putrid breath polluted the room.

Mark refused to let the demon bait him. He knew once it did, the demon would win. He'd learned, over the years, that ignoring them provoked them more than anything. Mark also knew, the more agitated the demon became, the less it concentrated on other things. Sometimes that left an opening for the victim to fight back. If anyone could find that sliver of opening it would be Adam. Maybe it would eve be enough to let his grandmother in. That way, Adam would have powerful help in fighting off the demon.

Mark kept his attention on the fire. He wanted it ready for when William and Wade returned. He added another log, and continually poked at the flames.

Wade and his Uncle had gone back to William's inner sanctum. William had sat his nephew down at his desk with the family Grimoire. He wanted Wade to learn the spell as best he could, in a very short amount of time.

William began to fill leather pouches with sage, salt and other components they would need for casting out the demon. One of the last things William searched for was as chip of one of the Heel Stones from Stonehenge. It was part of the family heritage, as keepers of the Henge. The stone would help draw the power of the ancient structure. He worked in silence so Wade could concentrate on the spell.

With instructions from Shawn and Hunter, Jason and Heath now sat with Roman. The Helmsley's had gone to town to find the pharmacy. While walking down Main Street, they ran into Bray and his boys.

With heavy hearts they told Bray what had happened to Adam and Roman. "...so, all we can do is pray they can cast that... thing out of Adam. I feel so... helpless. I'm usually the one that handles the exorcisms." Shawn finished with a sad sigh.

Bray couldn't believe all that had happened. "My poor kid. I... don't even... Shawn, somethings have to be handled by magics. Your time will come. Adam's soul will need your skills when it's cleansed. I know the spell that Wade is going to cast... honestly, I am more worried about Wade at the moment. Casting a spell of that magnitude..." He shook his head. His eyes were overflowing with concern.

Hunter perked a bit. "You know the spell? Can you explain it?" Hunter always wanted to learn as much as possible, especially if it involved the paranormal world.

"It's... look, do your errand. The boys and I will be at that café on the corner." Bray said with a nod toward the street corner. With a nod, The Helmsley's continued their journey to the chemist shop. They spotted it across the street.

Hunter and Shawn entered the chemist shop. A young girl greeted them. "Welcome, may I be of assistance?" She spoke with with a posh, London West End accent.

Hunter's eyes darted around the shop. It was typical European pharmacy. "Um... is Rey here? William Regal sent us." He looked at the girl expectantly.

The girl smiled. "Yes. Go through that curtain. Just tell him Grand Wizard Regal sent you." She pulled back a black velvet curtain, that opened to reveal a dimly lit, short hallway with a closed door at the end. They cautiously walked down the little hall and stopped in front of the door.

Hunter held Shawn's hand as he opened the door and peeked in. "Mister Mysterio?" He felt absolutely ridiculous, like a secret agent, or more like they were at a carnival seeking out the Gypsy Fortuneteller.

"Grand Wizard Regal told us to find you." Shawn called out softly. He could tell that Hunter was frustrated with the cloak and dagger environment.

"Come in." A soft, male voice replied. The couple could also hear the tinkling of glass bottles being used.

Hunter still held Shawn's hand as they entered the dimly lit room. It was soon obvious by the smell of bees wax the light came from candles. Their noses also picked up the familiar smell of the sage that Wade always used. Their shoes made a light crunching sound as they stepped further in. Both Shawn and Hunter knew they had crossed a salt circle.

The Helmsley's found the man they sought. He was measuring a bluish liquid into a small cast iron pot on a Bunsen burner. The smell was almost cloying with a sweet yet herbal scent.

The man working was short, and he wore a robe of deep green, silky velvet. His hood completely hid his face. He held the vial at eye level as he measured more of the bluish liquid. When he added it to the pot, a wisp of red smoke rose up, swirled around and vanished. More of the sweetness filled the air. Shawn worked hard not to choke. The smell irritated his still sore throat.

When Rey looked at his visitors, Shawn and Hunter nearly gasped. His eyes were a bright white with bright almost sky blue iris' and tiny black pupils. It gave him a very eerie expression.

Rey gave a laugh. "It's my contact lenses. I wear them when I mix potions, to protect my eyes..." He paused, his tone changed from light to serious. "An exorcism, but you need medical supplies. If you'll follow me, Doctor Helmsley, Pastor Helmsley. Yes, I am an empath of the highest level. Evan will learn and Roman has awoken." Rey spoke matter of fact as they walked into another room.

When Rey flipped the light switch, the florescent lights nearly blinded them. It was if they'd stepped from the ancient into the ultra modern world. Rey started reaching for the various medicines and other things Hunter was about to run out of.

"Don't worry. I don't read your hidden thoughts. I only see what is most forward. The demon that has Adam is strong. Wade will most likely need this." Rey reached into his robe pocket and took out a key.

The mysterious man unlocked a glass fronted cabinet and took out four, longish rectangular boxes and laid them on the counter.

"Epinephrine? I... will it be that bad? I.. know nothing about it, except I was told it would be hard on Wade." Hunter looked at the boxes. Each one contained a pre-measured syringe with Epinephrine. The drug was used, in simple terms, stop a person from dying of shock.

Shawn grimaced. "I hope it won't come to that. Those are awful, you have to inject them into the inner thigh. Bray has a lot to explain." He looked at Hunter with worry filled eyes.

"He will. No, I can't tell you that. One thing I can't do is predict the future. I can only see what has just happened. Tell William to draw from the Henge. He will understand. Also tell him, I will gather the coven. We will go to Stonehenge and send the power. We'll be there in thirty minutes. Now, take this and go. Time can not be halted." Rey quickly put all the supplies in an empty box. He also refused to take any money.

"It wouldn't be right to take money in this situation. Adam refuses money, his is worthy of his gifts. Go and blessed be." Rey shook hands with Shawn and Hunter, then vanished back into the darker room.

Hunter and Shawn looked at each other. Shawn spoke. "Well, it takes all kinds to make a world. We'd better meet Bray, then get back to Roman." Hunter nodded in agreement, grabbed the box and followed Shawn out of the chemists shop. They went to the café.

After briefly explaining about their encounter with Rey, Shawn and Hunter listened to Bray explain bout the spell.

Bray put down the glass of cola he'd been sipping and spoke. "The power from a coven will help especially if they are standing inside the Henge. The spell of Life and Death, is also known as the Charm of Making or the Serpent's Breath. Oddly enough, it has its origins in ancient Irish folklore. Wade will call up on the Great Dragon, or Serpent to remove the demon from Adam. He will be calling upon the oldest creature of the earth. Can you imagine the power of a creature that old? That's why it's so dangerous for the charm caster. He may very well need that medication... if Wade lives." There was no humor in Bray's voice. There was no sparkle in his eye. There was only a burning seriousness.

Neither Hunter nor Shawn knew what to say. Bray's boys also sat in silence. Erick and Luke only knew little Addy was in trouble. They had only met him a couple of times, but they knew the history of how Bray had helped Adam from a young age. They regarded him as a little brother. They had also been glad to see that Chris had found a lover of his own, he deserved it.

The small group quickly finished their refreshments and drove back to Regal Manor. The sun was near the western horizon, it made the pillars of Stonehenge look like black shadowed sentinels.

Roman, Jason and Heath had joined the others in the library. Roman paced the floor like a caged lion. Every so often, he stopped and looked up at the ceiling. He was relieved when Hunter and the others came into the room.

"Any news?" Bray and Shawn asked at the same exact moment. The atmosphere in the room was heavy with anxiousness.

Roman growled. "Not a fucking word. That fucking butler won't let me up the stairs. I need to be there! I _need_ to be with my husband! Hunter, make them let me in!" His voice was a mix of anger and fear. Roman's dark eyes were wide open with stress.

Hunter went to the frustrated man. "I can't, Roman. They have to do what they have to do. They need to be able to do it without interference from you. You need to do this for Adam. How are you feeling? You were really out of it." The Physician in Hunter came out as he tried to check Roman's wrist pulse.

Roman roughly pulled his arm from Hunter's grasp. "How do you think I feel. I watched as that... thing... take Adam away from me. It laughed... it just... laughed." His anger melted into sorrow. He sank down onto the seat of the leaded glass bay window. His head in his hands.

Evan and Heath both sat down next to Roman and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Every one turned when a tea cup suddenly went flying across the room and shattered like fireworks. Jason's face was like thunder, and he was about to throw his saucer. Shawn laid a hand on his. Jason melted into the older man's embrace. Tempers turned from anger to sadness and back in milliseconds.

Paige silently cleaned up the shattered tea cup. She had used the old china because she knew this would happen. She pointed to a long, oak wood library table when Hunter asked where he could lay out and organize the supplies he'd picked that afternoon. It was busy work to keep his mind occupied.

Dean and Chris stood out on the patio that abutted the French doors that led from the library to the outside terrace. They were puffing cigarettes like steam trains going up hill, fully loaded.

Everything came to a halt when the most hideous, evil laced scream echoed through the house. They jumped again when this time, pain was heard in the scream. It was enough to make their blood turn as cold as ice.

Roman broke away from Evan and Heath, ran out of the room, up to the second floor and laughed maniacally himself when he saw Sandow was no longer guarding the way to the third floor.

The Islander flew up the stairs to the bedroom where his dear, beloved husband was fighting for his very soul and quite possibly even his life. He knew without looking the others had followed after him.

"I'm going in there and don't even fucking try to stop me. Think, if it was your husband in there." Roman growled with his back to the men he knew were on the stairs. If he turned to look at them, he might lose his resolve.

Roman walked to the door and turned the knob. When he opened the door, he was hit in the face by a wind that approached gale force. Papers flew around the room like they were caught in an invisible tornado. The wind was as hot and dry as the desert, and more putrid than rotting flesh.

Wade stood at the foot of the bed while Mark stood on the left, William to the right. Their robes were splattered with what looked like mashed pea colored slime.

What shocked Roman the most was the sight of a horrific creature laying in the bed where Adam had once been. It was a natural reflex when he looked around the room, thinking he would see his husband. It hit him like a barbwire covered baseball bat, the creature in the bed _was_ Adam!

Roman rocked on his feet, but he stayed upright. It was then he realized he was only standing because Bray and Hunter held him up, as the others surrounded him in equal horror.

The beast in the bed barely resembled the handsome, Viking featured man, Adam was. The normally silky soft, dirty blond colored hair looked dull and as brittle as dry hay. His skin was mottled with discolored scaly patches and looked to be as thin as paper. Adam's skin was so pale, his veins looked the lines of the motorway on a map.

The nails of both his hands had grown into even longer claw like appendages. The nails were yellow with brown stains and were thick and sharp.

Adam's once soft, sensual lips were bloody and bits of the same slimy substance that was on the robes of the three men around the bed, clung to them. When the thing opened its mouth, the once beautiful, milky white teeth had become sharply pointed. The fangs were stained yellow and brown.

Brown-green snot oozed from the nose, and the eyes were black holes that had sunken in. The red pupils had vanished. There was hardly anything left of Adam, except his sapphire engagement ring and sliver wedding band with Samoan tribal etchings. It matched the broad silver band Roman proudly wore.

The demon arched up off the bed again. The iron bands cut into the pale skin. Another near deafening scream poured out of the demonic mouth. It caused another burst of hot, noxious wind to tear through the room.

Wade held the piece of ancient stone in his hands at eye level. "Sluagh, the soul hunter, leave this body, exit this soul and go back to the depths from wince you came! I call upon the Dragon, the Great Serpent. Anál nathrach, ortha, beatha, do chéal déanaimh. Breath of the the Serpent, Spell of Life, the song for the making!" Wade spoke the powerful charm in both Ancient Irish and modern English. The demon screeched even louder.

William hastily tossed a sheave of sage onto the fire. He looked out of the window, he saw the flashes of thirteen torches as they circled the not too distant Stonehenge. Hunter had never gotten the chance to tell William what Rey had said about the Coven, but it didn't appear to matter.

No one else had noticed, but both Seth and Dean had cameras. They had quickly pulled the equipment from their room. Seth used Roman's FLIR camera and Dean held a regular video camera. Seth felt it was important to document the event.

As the Coven went around the Henge, the rock in Wade's hand began to take on a glow. It was a blue stone, from the hills of Wales. The stone seemed to come to life in Wade's grip.

The war for Adam's soul continued. Wade again spoke the Charm of Making, as he did, the stone grew even brighter.

The demon fought harder against the iron bonds. Both Roman and Hunter feared Adam's wrists would break. The snarls and growls came between lobs of slimy spittle that landed on the robes of Mark, William and Wade.

Evan and Chris were locked in each others arms as they watched the horror. Heath held Jason as he silently sobbed and trembled like he was standing in a blizzard, soaking wet, and naked.

At the Henge, Rey looked toward Regal Manor. He let his thoughts flow to the house. He could clearly see what was happening in the third floor bedroom. He could see that Wade was getting tired and the demon was still strong.

"Call out to the Dragon!" Rey called out to the twelve other men. They held their torches high and changed to circle the ancient stones in a counter clockwise motion. They chanted to the Serpent, asking him to call his demon servant back to the hoard.

Mark looked at his fiancé. He was starting to get more and more concerned about Wade. He'd never seen Wade so pale, not even after the rape. Wade's face was a sheen of thin sweat. There was nothing Mark could do. To stop now would mean Adam would be lost forever. Once a soul battle began, you had to see it through.

Wade kept repeating the Dragon's Breath chant. The demon was even more restless. Wade didn't flinch when the demon sent a hail of slimy spit that landed directly on his face. A blaze of utter determination and concentration burned in Wade's eyes. He took a deep breath, the end of the battle drew near. If the Dragon didn't call back, the soul hunter named Sluagh, Adam would be gone; forever.

William threw even more sage onto the fire, along with some black salt. He glanced out of the window. The Coven had changed directions, they too were calling upon the Dragon.

The smoke from the sage and salt laced fire filled the room. It was drawn by the power of the glowing blue stone Wade held in his hands.

Wade raised the stone to eye level again. "Be gone Sluagh, obey your Master. The Dragon calls you back! Anáil nathrach ortha beatha, do chéal déanaimh. O Dragon, Lord of the Under Earth call your demon back to your horde. Obey me Sluagh!" Wade's voice had it's most commanding tone yet.

For a moment the smoke of the sage fire completely enveloped Wade. The smoke took on and electric blue color as the light from the stone grew in intensity.

William spoke. "The Coven has gathered. They are evoking the power of Stonehenge. You can feel it, can you not Sluagh, you are growing weaker; heed your Master's voice. You are commanded to obey!" He pointed at the demon and spoke with a firm voice.

The demon growled and spit at William. Even the thick scent of the burning sage couldn't cover the heinous smell of the demon's breath.

The men observing were frozen in their places. Bray and Hunter held Roman up as the Islander muttered words of love and encouragement. He hoped against hope that somehow, Adam heard them and fought to come back to him.

Seth and Dean managed to hold their cameras steady. It was difficult to watch in person, but even worse through the lens of a camera, especially the FLIR.

The infra red system was picking up more colors than Seth had thought possible. Wade was red hot and the stone he held was so white with heat it was blinding to look at. The demon was lit in shades of blue and purple. There was no sign of the beautiful, cheerful rainbow aura of Adam.

Jason still in Heath's arms, had stopped trembling and also muttered under his breath. He too encouraged his near brother to fight.

Evan's face was buried in Chris' neck. He was concentrating on keeping his empathic door locked. It was hard to do in a room filled with magic invoked power. Chris held his boy tight and joined in with sending thoughts to Adam.

Shawn stood in a corner of the room with Luke and Erick. Bray's lovers watched with wide eyes. They didn't know what to think, they'd never seen anything even resembling the battle taking place. Luke and Erick found Shawn to be a calm comfort and appreciated his care. Like all the members of the College Hill Ghost Hunter's, Shawn begged for Adam to come back to them.

At Stonehenge, Rey cast another empathic glance into the Regal Manor. He knew Wade was even weaker, they had to increase the power of the Henge. Rey led the Coven as they moved to circle around the inner sanctum of the stone circle. Inside the circle, their efforts would increase the power of the age encrusted stones.

In the Manor, William observed that the torches of the Coven had moved to the inner ring of Stonehenge. The Grand Wizard knew what that meant; and so did the demon.

With a roar that rattled the house to its very foundation, the demon screamed "NO!" Adam's demon infested body rose up off the bed. His wrists and ankles strained against the iron bonds. Its power was so incensed with anger, the iron actually bent, but the bindings held. The demons screams of protest were deafening.

Mark stood firmly in his place as a burst of hot, putrid, slime filled breath rocked him on his feet.

William threw more sage and salt onto the fire. He then opened another vial. It contained soil from Stonehenge. The soil had been blessed by William himself, as the keeper of the Henge.

The Henge, the door between worlds. Only William and the ancestors of the family before him knew how to open that door..

"I command of the Ancients, open the door!" William commanded as he tossed the dirt into the fire.

Wade heard his Uncle's command. It was now or never. He lifted the glowing blue stone over his head. He took one, final deep breath.

"GO! NOW!" Wade shouted at the top of his lungs as he held the stone aloft.

Suddenly, a bolt of blue light shot from the fire to the stone. The stone turned sky blue. The bolt of light went through the stone and hit Adam's body, square in the heart.

The demon screeched, Wade collapsed in a white robed heap, and the room went deathly silent as smoke filled the room.

The sage scented smoke was so thick, no one dared to move. No one that is except Grand Wizard, Lord William Regal. The Grand Wizard waved his arm, the sleeve of his robe bellowed. "Be gone." he spoke as soft as the whisper of a butterflies wing. The smoke instantly vanished.

It took a moment for everyone to come into focus, but when they did, they saw a wonderful thing. Adam lay in a peaceful repose, a soft, beautiful smile of peace on his lips. There were no remaining signs of the torment he'd just gone through.

Seth let out a gasp. In the screen of the camera, Adam's body was bathed in the rainbow aura. There was also the outline of a small woman.

Adam's grandmother stood next to the bed. She held her grandson's hand. Everyone heard her as she spoke.

"It's over."


	28. The Recovery

"She's gone." Seth quietly announced in a soft voice. He and Dean shut off their cameras. Both knew there was nothing more to film. The rainbow aura had vanished with Adam's grandmother. Before she left, she appeared to have kissed Adam's cheek. Seth swore there was a warm, pink pixel that fell from her eye. Had he captured the actual tear of a spirit? The research would come later. Right now, other matters were much more important.

Hunter didn't know who to go to first. After a few seconds, he chose Wade. Roman was already at Adam's bedside. He had removed the bindings from Adam's ankles, and now worked on the wrist bindings. Shawn had come to help Hunter with Wade.

"The bed is large enough, lets put him on it." Hunter said quietly to Shawn. Mark helped Roman gently move Adam further to the left side of the king sized bed, to make room for Wade.

Between them, Hunter and Shawn lifted Wade. Hunter carried him to the bed, bridal style and was glad it was only a few steps.

Bray shooed the others out of the bedroom "I know you're anxious, but give Hunter the space to work. We all need some refreshment."

Jason was the last to leave. He gave Adam's cheek a caress. "Call me when he wakes up, please?" He asked Roman, brow arched.

Roman hugged the smaller man. "You know I will." With a nod, Jason left to join the others.

Damien Sandow appeared at the door as the group was leaving. He wore a solid black robe and carried a now unlit torch. He'd been at the Henge, he was a minor Warlock, and a member of Rey's Coven. Sandow stepped from the shadows and entered the room and bowed to William.

"Mysterio hopes the young master will recover. As well as Professor Reigns. He said to bring the stone to be re-blessed." The Warlock informed his employer.

"Very well. I shall take it on the morrow. Thank you, Damien. The Coven gave Wade the extra power needed to finish the spell. I feared Adam's soul was truly lost. Now, please, go to my room and get the potion of healing." William spoke with kindness, he was grateful to Damien.

Damien nodded and quickly left. William removed his stained robe, laid it over a chair, and went to the bed where his nephew lay.

Mark had opened Wade's robe so Hunter could examine him. The Wizard wore a tee shirt and boxer shorts under the robe. Mark knelt on the floor by Wade's head and caressed his brow, worry etched on his face.

"Rey was right. Shawn get me one of the epinephrine injections, please. He is about to go into shock. Roman, how are his wrists and ankles?" Hunter kept his eye on Wade as he spoke to Roman.

"Very bruised, but I don't think anything is broken. On thing, a possessed body seems to be... more flexible. He's sleeping quietly." Roman replied softly. He held Adam's hand and with the other, caressed his brow. His eyes were glued on Adam.

Shawn handed Hunter the anti-shock injection. Then went around the bed to check Adam's vitals. As he worked, he mulled things over in his mind. He always wondered at the magical ways, when the Bible spoke so harshly against them. However, one thing never wavered, his faith.

Hunter rubbed an alcohol soaked wipe over the skin of Wade's inner thigh. "Glad he's not awake for this." He muttered as he slid the long needle into the tender skin of Wade's inner thigh.

Wade let out a whimper, even in his deep sleep, he felt the needle. "Hush, love. The medicine will help you." Mark cooed softly in Wade's ear. He was so damn proud of his fiancé, and knew exactly how to prove it. He hoped William would help him carry out is plan.

Sandow returned with a beaker in his hand. Hunter thought it looked much like the same potion Rey had been making in the back of his Chemist Shop. He gave the flask to William. He then picked up the three soiled robes and left the room.

William looked at Hunter. "This is a potion, made from a bit of dirt and powdered stone from the Henge. It will replace what the casting took. May I?"

Hunter nodded. He somehow knew the natural potion would probably help Wade more than his synthetic medication. He also knew William would not give his nephew anything dangerous. William held the beaker to Wade's mouth. He whispered something and the liquid passed easily over Wade's lips. Mark saw Wade's throat move to show he had swallowed the potion.

William stepped back. "Now we wait. Either the Father Dragon gives him back... or not." He spoke with no certain emotion in his voice. However, his eyes showed what his voice did not, fear, worry and love for his nephew.

Instead of everyone going to the library or dining room, Paige and now Sandow, served each couple and in Bray's case trio, a light supper in their respective bed chambers.

Paige had prepared a light, but nutritious broth of duck and vegetables. She'd also made duck meat sandwiches to go with it. Each tray also had a small carafe of naturally fortified, rich, deep red wine. She knew the men had been through hell. The meal, though light was mean to restore their drained bodies.

Bray and his boys dug into the food like they hadn't eaten in days. They really hadn't had much time to eat or sleep since arriving in the United Kingdom. Despite their voracious attack on the food, and their backwoods appearance, their table manners were polite. There was no conversation, they were too busy eating.

Jason and Heath sat at a table in front of a small fire that burned cheerfully in the fireplace. Even though it was high summer, the castle-like house was chilly in the evenings. It also didn't help that the house sat in a low valley where cool air settled in deeply.

Jason took the bread off the top of his duck breast and orange sauce sandwich. He picked at the roast duck.

"I'm sorry, baby. I should have told her your not a fan of oranges. The soup is good..." Heath paused, Jason just stared down at the torn sandwich. Heath continued. "Jaybird, please. You need to eat. Adam _will_ need you. You need to be strong for that." Heath spoke softly, his hand on top of his husband's.

Jason let out a sigh. "I... that... _thing_... was Adam... how _? How_ will he ever be the same? Will I _ever_ have my brother back, I mean truly back?" He finally looked up at Heath. His eyes were filled with a profound sadness. It ripped at Heath's heart.

Heath reached over and ran his fingers through Jason's crop of short, sandy colored hair. "Maybe not at first, but with I am sure he will. You guys have been through too much together. You and Adam share a deep connection, that is not easily forgotten. I'm glad mom Judy didn't have to see it. She's going to need you too, when she does find out. Please, Daddy, at least eat some soup?" Heath paused again and dipped his spoon in Jason's bowl. He filled the spoon with the rich, gravy-like broth.

Heath lifted the spoon. "Open the hanger, here comes the airplane." His lips vibrated as he made airplane sounds and put the spoon to Jason's mouth.

Jason laughed and opened his mouth. If nothing else, his Gingersnap could always make him smile, even in the darkest hours.

Heath slid the spoon into Jason's open mouth. "That's my good boy..." He turned serious, "...I love you, Jay."

"I love you, Heath." Jason replied with the sparkle of love in his eyes. He leaned in and captured Heath's lips with his. It was a tender, love filled exchange. When the kiss broke, the couple began to eat with a renewed gusto. Jason knew Heath was right, Adam _would_ need him and Jason had to be refreshed and ready.

In the room next door, Seth and Dean sat on their huge bed and ate their meal. Seth had hooked up his lap top. The couple cleared their heads by watching their favorite sports entertainment network all about wrestling, which they both loved. Dean had once toyed with the idea of becoming a superstar wrestler, but other things came up in his life. He met Seth and eventually opened The Lunatic Fringe. Dean was now content to watch wrestling on a computer or television, it was the best way to relax.

The wrestling they watched also took their minds off the horrible things they had seen, heard and smelled upstairs. For once, Seth was not looking forward to watching what they had filmed. He wasn't sure he would ever watch it, maybe he would just lock the disc away and forget it.

Seth and Dean were of course worried about Adam and Wade. The couple also knew both their friends were in the best possible hands and they would only be in the way. They continued to watch a wrestling show and eat in comfortable companionship

In their room, Chris and Evan were also in front of the fire that burned in their fireplace. They sat on a plush, deep pile rug. They ate, but it was fairly forced.

Evan put down his spoon. "Do you think I could have done something to help? Maybe it would have made it easier for Wade?" He looked in earnest at Chris.

Chris swallowed a sip of wine and shook his head. "You can't, Evan. You can't worry about it. I honestly think if Wade had thought you could have helped, he would have asked you. I just hope they are alright. Oh Evvy, it was so... horrible..." Chris gave a shudder. He couldn't get the sight of the demon invested body of Adam out of his mind.

Evan moved closer to Chris. "I suppose you're right. I _never_ want to see something like that I again. Roman must have been so... frightened. I don't think I could bear it if something happened to you. I love you, Chrissy. Going through this with you, has only made me realize even more, how much I have grown to love you." Evan fully opened his heart to Chris. As far as Evan was concerned, Chris was the love of his life.

Chris gently caressed Evan's cheek with the back of his hand. "I love you, Evvy. Best day of my life was when you walked into my class. But, the even better day was when we went to the park. I can't... hold on." Evan watched curiously as Chris jumped up and went into the bathroom. He returned in a few minutes and sat back down on the rug.

Chris sat cross-legged and pulled Evan into his lap. Evan laughed softly. "Chrissy, you're being silly." Evan looked Chris in the eye. He stopped smiling, Chris looked stern and serious.

"I'm serious now, Evan. I want you to listen to me, and _don't_ interrupt. I've made a decision that will affect us both." Chris spoke with no humor in his voice.

Evan swallowed hard. What was going on? Maybe Chris had decided to break up with him? Maybe the age difference was too much? Evan tried to hold back the tears that threatened to pool in his eyes.

Chris picked up Evan's left hand and toyed with his fingers. "Evan, you have changed my life. You have given me a reason to do what I do. You brightened my darkest heart, you breathed life into my soul. I want you, right here, beside me, for the rest of my life, no matter how long that may be. Evan Matthew Bourne, will you marry me?" Chris' lips curved into a handsome smile.

Evan's mouth fell open as he felt cool metal slip over the ring finger of his left hand. He looked, Chris had slid a beautiful, half carat diamond ring on a silver band onto his finger. It was traditionally elegant and fit him perfectly.

Evan looked up at Chris. "Yes, yes I will marry you! I love you, so much." He allowed a single tear to escape onto his cheek.

Chris took Evan's lips with his. They put all their love and passion for each other into the kiss. When they pulled apart, Evan held his ringed hand to the firelight. The diamond glittered in the soft glow.

"It's beautiful, Chrissy. It's classic, like you. I would have picked it myself." Evan kept admiring the ring as it sparkled.

Chris snuggled Evan deeper into his lap. He kissed Evan's cheek. "When I saw the ring, I knew it was the one. Just like when I saw you, I knew you were _the_ one. I had it hidden in my shaving kit. I got it about a week before we left Cedar Falls. I was so afraid you'd find it, nosey monkey." He laughed and pulled Evan in for another kiss.

Up in the third floor bedroom, Hunter and Shawn tended their patients. Wade and Adam were both sleeping peacefully. Neither man had woken up, but their vital signs were excellent.

Hunter had wrapped bandages around Adam's bruised and cut wrists. Thankfully none of the cuts were deep. Adam's ankles didn't need bandages, but they were slightly bruised. The socks he'd worn had protected him.

Hunter had been surprised when he'd examined Wade's hands. He'd expected them to be badly burned by the rock, especially with the charge of electrical energy that had gone through it. When he looked, Wade's hands were perfectly fine. They weren't even red. He guessed it had something to do with why Wade could make fire with his bare hands.

Roman sat in a chair by the fire. A tray of food sat in front of him. At first he only picked at a sandwich, but soon his hunger took over and he ate his food with an appetite. In between bites, he turned to look at his sleeping husband. While he clearly recalled the horror he'd seen, to Roman it now seemed like a distant, hazy dream. He continued to eat with an eye on his Adam.

William had taken Mark to his private library were Sandow had laid out the same delicious meal the others enjoyed. They sat at William's desk. William in his leather desk chair and Mark sat across from Wade's Uncle in another comfortable leather chair.

Mark had been telling William his idea. "... is it possible? I'll do what ever it will take to make it happen." Mark looked at William, then ate a spoonful of the thick duck broth.

William delicately wiped a bit of soup from his chin with his napkin. He gave Mark a soft smile. "Yes, I'll make it happen. After all, it _is_ part of this property. Others have done it, but this time it will be special. I can tell how much you love my nephew. After the way the family treated him for going to the States, we owe him. I was _never_ upset with him, he only thought I was. I shouldn't have let the communication fail like it did. The fault is mine. Mark, please, tell me what happened to him." William looked at Mark in earnest.

Mark sipped his wine, then set the glass down with a sigh. "He was brutally raped by four men. We were going to investigate an old, abandoned cemetery. Wade had gone to do a preliminary sweep for demons. On the way back, his truck broke down..." Mark went on to tell William about that horrible day.

"... it was because of Adam we found him. Now you understand why he was so vehement about casting out the demon. He felt he owed it to Adam. It took Wade a long time to trust and and heal, but he has done it. Once in a while, he will have a nightmare or a bad day, but it's its been a long time. Just a few days ago, he laughed at one of Jason's dirty sex jokes, something he hadn't done since that night; it was a beautiful sound. Now, back to the matter at hand. Is there a priest we need to contact. I want Shawn to have some part, but the main service should done by Wizard priest." Mark finished. He gladly took the cigar William offered him.

William snapped his fingers, a small flame appeared. He lit Mark's then his own cigar. "I'll do it.. that is if you agree. I'm a White Priest." He spoke simply with a puff of blue gray cigar smoke.

Mark's eyes went wide with surprise. "I had no idea, William. Of course, no decision to be make..." He was interrupted when Sandow entered the room.

"Sirs, Master Wade has awoken. He is asking for you both; rather insistently." Sandow gave a slight bow to the two men. He stayed to clean up after Mark and William left. The two men quickly put out their cigars and rose to leave.

Mark stopped in front of Sandow. "Thank you, Sandow. I appreciate that you did so much to help with the spell. Give my thanks to your Coven as well." He gave the servant a bow.

Damien gave Mark an extremely rare smile. "I will, Sir. Thank you." He returned the bow.

Mark and William went to the bedroom. As soon as they walked in, Mark heard Wade calling for him. Mark rushed to Wade's side of the bed.

Hunter smiled. "Told you he'd be here." He said with a pat to Wade's shoulder. Hunter went around to check on Adam. Shawn was taking a moment to eat a bite of supper.

Mark sat in the chair next to the bed and took Wade's hand. William stood behind Mark. "Hey, Babe. How are you feeling?" Mark asked softly.

Wade calmed the moment he saw his fiancé. "Exhausted. Fucking hell why does my leg hurt? Adam? Did it work?" His eyes fluttered, unable to decide if they wanted to stay open or not.

Mark caressed Wade's brow. "It worked, the demon is gone. Adam is still unconscious, but he's stable. Hunter had to give you a shot in the inner thigh. It kept you from going into shock. A Coven of Whites helped send power from the Henge, you took a direct hit of that power. Don't you worry, you did it. I'm so proud of you." When he finished speaking, he bent down and kissed Wade's lips with a small, soft peck.

Wade smiled. "I felt the power, so... strong. Uncle?" His eyes opened long enough to look up at William.

William smiled and gave Wade's knee a very gentle squeeze. "I'm _proud_ of you. You have proven how worthy you are to be my heir. Rest now, sleep is the best." He gave Wade a wink.

Wade let his eyes flutter shut. "Love you, Mark. Love you too, Uncle...and thank you... " His voice trailed off into a soft snore as he went back to sleep.

Mark stayed by Wade's side and held his hand. He looked over at Roman and Adam. Hunter had finished checking Adam. Roman was sound asleep, his head on Adam's thigh.

Hunter gave Mark a smile. "Resting peacefully. All his vitals are normal." His voice a whisper. He put a light blanket over Roman's shoulders and went to join his husband. Hunter was starving.

William went out on the balcony. He sat down in a wrought iron chair. He lit another cigar with a snap of his fingers. He waved his hand and the small flame vanished. He sighed deeply. He looked to the west. Stonehenge was bathed in the soft glow of the light of the moon, he was at peace.

Eventually, everyone managed to fall asleep. Shawn and Hunter in chair in front of the fire in the third floor bedroom. Mark and Roman slept in chairs next to the bed where their loved ones slept peacefully.

Roman's last thoughts were a prayer that Adam would wake up and would once again, be his wonderful, normal self.

William had eventually gone to his own bedroom. He too prayed that both Wade and Adam would recover fully from their ordeal.

Jason, Heath, Dean, Seth, Chris and Evan all slept, safe in arms of their loved ones. Evan fell asleep staring at his new engagement ring. He couldn't wait to show it off, but only if Adam was alright. Adam's recovery was more important, at least for now.

Bray slept in bed with Erick and Luke on either side. Bray knew his boys were confused by everything. He'd try to explain it, but it would be hard. Bray knew they loved Adam like a brother, as long as he recovered it would be alright.

The morning dawned to a cloudless sky. A low fog danced around the ancient ground. It was so thick in some places, the small stones around the Henge, were swallowed up by the fog. It wasn't unusual, the land was in a low lying valley. The fog would be gone as soon as the rays of the sun reached it.

William was the first to awaken. He was surprised when he saw it was nearly ten in the morning. He hadn't slept that late in years. He sat up, and pressed the button on the wall next to the bed.

Within a minute, Sandow came into the room. He stood at the foot of the bed and bowed deeply to William.

"Good morning, Grand Wizard." Damien spoke warmly.

"Good morning, Damien. Am I the first one awake?" William asked with a slight yawn.

"No, Sir. Doctor Helmsley is up. I met him in the hallway just now. He informed me that Masters Adam and Wade are still soundly sleeping, so he was going to take a shower." Sandow drew the drapes open as he spoke. The morning light filled the room.

"I know it is extra work, but I want you and Paige to serve breakfast in the rooms. I'm sure everyone would like that better. Luncheon can be in the dining room at two." William gave his instructions as he got out of bed and slipped into the robe Sandow had held out for him.

"Paige is already preparing the trays. We assumed those would be your orders for breakfast." Sandow replied as the tied William's robe closed.

William gave a light laugh. "I'd be lost without you both. Draw my bath, then I'll have breakfast in the recovery room with my nephew."

"Yes, Sir." Sandow responded with a bow. He went into the master bathroom to draw the water for William's bath.

An hour later, everyone was enjoying a breakfast of coffee and assorted rolls with butter, preserves, and savoury spreads. The couples were indeed glad to eat in their rooms once again so they could get ready for the day at a leisurely pace. They had all been told, although still sleeping, Adam had good vital signs and appeared to be alright. Wade, too was sleeping, and was expected to recover. The news lightened the mood tremendously.

Roman and Mark had woken up and were having their breakfast with William, Shawn and Hunter on the balcony of the third floor bedroom. Roman sat where he could see Adam, still asleep in the bed.

"Will he be alright?" Roman asked as he once again cast a gaze towards his husband.

Hunter swallowed his sip of coffee. "We won't fully know till he wakes up. All his vitals are normal. The only thing remaining are the bruises and those will heal. I wish I could give you a better answer."

"I just hope... it didn't …. my poor Viking..." Roman still couldn't fully take in all that Adam had been through. It was all just too damn much.

Shawn reached over and gave Roman's back a rub. "We _will_ do what ever it takes to get Adam back. Like Hunt said, we can't know until he wakes." He gave the broad, muscular back another rub.

"Ro...man?" A very weak, arid voiced Adam called out. He gave a whimper as he tried to move.

Roman was by Adam's side faster than a bolt of lightening. "I'm here, baby. I'm right here. Viking?" He leaned in and took Adam's hand.

Adam blinked a few times, then opened his eyes. They were back to their beautiful hazel green color. "Is... it... gone?" His voice was horribly raspy, it barely sounded like Adam, but it was.

Roman kissed Adam's hand. "Yes, my darling, it's gone. Wade cast it out. I promise, it's gone and you are safe. You're _safe_ , my dearest heart." Roman's eyes filled with tears of relief. He couldn't stop the drops that dripped down his cheek.

"She told me... it was gone... thought it... might be... dream... Wade?" Adam barely whispered, it burned his throat to speak.

Roman caressed Adam's brow. "Your grandmother came to you at the end. She told us all, it was over. Wade is right here, next to you. He's sleeping, but alright. Oh baby, I was so fucking scared. Jason is going to be thrilled you're awake. I love you so _damn_ much, my Viking." He leaned down and kissed Adam's lips for the first time in days. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world.

Roman smiled. "Thought... you... Oh Adam, my beautiful husband." He laid his head on Adam's chest and sobbed in relief.

Adam had slowly managed to lift his hand and place it on Roman's head. It only made Roman sob harder. His tears were his release, Adam understood.

Hunter smiled softly when he saw Shawn quickly wipe his own eyes with his napkin. He also observed that William's eyes were rather shiny as well. Hunter started a bit when he felt Shawn's thumb on his cheek. The physician hadn't felt the tears that had fallen from his own eyes.

Mark stood and went to Wade. His fiancé had started to shift around in the bed. Mark sat and took Wade's hand in his. Wade stopped moving and slowly, ever so slowly opened his eyes.

"Good morning, love. How are you feeling?" Mark asked in a soft voice. He didn't want to take away from Adam and Roman's moment.

Wade swallowed. "I feel so weak, but I think I'm alright. Leg doesn't hurt so much. Adam?" He sounded completely exhausted, but happy.

"I'm... okay... thank... you... Wade." Adam managed to respond. Roman's tears had eased, but he kept his head on Adam's chest, just to hear him breathe.

Wade turned his head to look at his bed companion. "You're welcome. I wasn't _about_ to let that thing have you. You alright?"

Adam coughed slightly. "Will be. My throat... hurts... my wrists ache... but... I'm back. Thank you... oh... _thank_... you..." He coughed again, talking was too hard on his throat.

Wade managed to give Adam a pat. Nothing more needed to be said. Now, there was a bond between them that could not nor would not ever be broken.

Hunter and Shawn came into the room from balcony. "Roman, Mark, give me a few minutes with my patients, then you can spend all the time you want with them." He used his firm physician's voice and amber eyed glare.

Roman didn't want to let go of Adam. "It's... okay... Islander... you... don't want... to make... Hunter... go into... bossy mode... I'm... not... going... anywhere..." Adam ran his hand over Roman's head as it rested on his chest.

Roman looked up at Adam. He smiled. "Okay, yeah bossy Hunter _is_ bad. Might stick a thermometer up your ass. I'll be right out on the balcony. I love you, so fuckin' much." He gave Adam's cracked and dry lips a very gentle but love filled kiss.

Mark gave Wade a kiss as well and went out to the balcony. William indicated for Mark and Roman to sit down and poured them each a fresh cup of coffee.

William spoke. "When they are recovered, they must give a sacrifice to the Dragon, at Stonehenge. They _must_ do this in thanks. If not... _it_ could return. I don't mean to bring down the mood, but, I speak the truth."

Mark nodded. "I guessed that would need to be done. I have no doubts they will agree." He spoke firmly as his eyes scanned the not too distant Hinge.

Roman swallowed his sip of coffee. "Absolutely. I know Adam _will_ want to do that. I'm so appreciative to Wade, you, and the Coven. Is there any way to thank the Coven?" He looked at William, brow raised.

William gave a slight chuckle. "Yes, there is. Sandow is part of the Coven. He was at the Henge last night. He will pass on any message." He took a puff from his cigar.

Hunter examined Adam first. He gently unwrapped the bruised wrists and checked the damaged skin. He then gave Adam a thick liquid medicine to sooth his throat. When Hunter went to check on Wade, Shawn helped Adam.

Shawn gave Adam a quick but thorough bed bath. He then changed Adam in to a pair of his own sleeping pants and one of the tee shirts Roman wore to sleep in, it was a bit large and slightly stretched, comfortable, and full of Roman's wonderful scent.

Adam then sat up, propped against the headboard with several pillows. Adam even sipped a cup of coffee weakened with cream. He felt much better and more importantly, Adam felt like himself.

Wade got the same treatment from Shawn, despite a protest that he could take a shower later, by himself; Shawn won. After he was finished, Wade was also propped up by a bank of pillows. Wade admitted, he too, felt much better. Secretly he thought it was nice to be spoiled a bit.

The rest of the morning passed quietly. Both Adam and Wade dozed off and on, as Mark and Roman kept watch over their loved ones.

When the group met for in the dining room for lunch, Hunter filled them in on Adam and Wade. He also told them, they could visit the two patients but, they were not to pepper either Wade or especially Adam with questions. Everyone agreed.

Later that afternoon, tea was served in the third floor bedroom. Adam didn't talk much because of his sore throat, but it didn't matter. They had him back and that was all that mattered.

Jason sat on the bed with Adam. Roman didn't mind, he knew how worried and upset Jason had been. Roman wasn't going to deny the two childhood friends their time together.

Heath had been the one to finally notice Evan's engagement ring. Adam and Wade were pleased as well for the couple. It was a relief to them to have everyone's attention focused on Evan and Chris. Even Jason left Adam's side and went to join in the engagement celebration.

With all the attention turned away from them, Adam turned to Wade. "Thank you, again, Wade. I owe you my soul and my life." His voice was much stronger after several doses of the thick medicine.

Wade smiled. "No, Adam. I owed _you_. You saved me that night in the cornfield. I would have done anything to help you, even if I _didn't_ owe you. You know we have to make a sacrifice to the Henge?"

Adam nodded. "Yes, and I am happy to do it. Thank you, Wade." He reached over and gave Wade's hand a squeeze. All was well; finally... would it last?


	29. Scrifices and Celebrations

_**A/N:** This chapter is somewhat longer, and contains ancient celebration rites of many cultures such as the Druids, White Witch Covens, Celts, and others. I thought about cutting out several paragraphs, but decided against it. I spent too much time and research on the material, plus personally, I find it quite interesting, so I hope you indulge me. This is the only chapter like this in the story. There are several important events in the chapter, so don't skip it totally. As a writer, I try not to only entertain, but educate as well... I just hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed researching and writing it. THANK YOU, to all who are my loyal readers and reviewers, and all who are enjoying the story. All the best for a blessed day... LadyDragonsblood. _

A full week passed before Hunter allowed Adam and Wade out of the house. Both had recovered, for the most part. Adam's wrists were still bruised and his throat ached occasionally, but that was all the remained of the ordeal.

When Adam saw the now healing bruises around Shawn's neck, and Shawn told him what had happened, Adam felt awful. Shawn told him not to fret over it. He told Adam it was the demon, not him, so there was no need to feel guilty. They hugged and all was fine between them.

Wade was in his Uncle's inner sanctum. He was working on the things he and Adam would need to make their sacrifice to the Henge. He held two small vials of blood that Hunter had drawn that morning. It was a vital part of the sacrifice. They had to give of themselves, and blood was the deepest, most personal thing they could give, as it was the very liquid of life.

Mark quietly entered the room. Both William and Wade had granted permission for him to do so. He waited for Wade to finish adding the blood to the Henge soil in the small iron pot. The pot sat over a burner with a low flame.

"Accept this sacrifice. We freely give of ourselves, to thank the Father Dragon and Mother Earth..." Wade spoke as he poured their blood onto the dirt and stirred. A puff of smoke rose into the air and released a musky, hot earthy scent, slightly tinged with the smell of copper.

Wade looked up and saw his lover. "You can speak now. It has to sit for a bit." He smiled as he spoke. Wade was glad to finally be up and around. He was most anxious to make the thanks to the Ancients as well.

"William said the Coven will be there at nine..." Mark informed Wade. He shifted nervously on his feet.

"Mark, you have been so edgy the last few days, and today especially. What's wrong? Is it Adam?" Wade asked his brow highly arched. He hoped there hadn't been an unexpected set back.

"No, Adam is fine. He's with William. They are fitting him for a robe to wear tonight. Wade, how would you feel about getting married? Tonight, at the Henge?" He finally let out the secret he'd been planning with William.

Wade's mouth fell open, his lips moved without a sound. It took a full minute before he could speak. "Mark, are you serious? Because that was my dream, I never thought it would be possible. I... didn't think... are you... ready to be married?" He had to sit down on the tall stool next to the table.

Mark went to Wade. He stood behind his fiancé and wrapped his tattooed arms around Wade's waist. He laid his chin on Wade's shoulder and deeply inhaled Wade's unique scent.

"Yes, I am. I realized, when you were lying in the bed, looking so ill after the casting, that I would be nothing without you. I also knew you had hoped to marry here, but you never asked. I appreciated that... the fact that you didn't push. It's time for me to give back to you; more than time. So, will you marry me, tonight?" Mark spoke from his heart and soul.

Wade leaned back against Mark. "Yes, I will. I know we don't go for the fluffy puppy, lovey dovey talk, but, I do love you, so much. You've always been there for me, and I've always tried to be there for you. I want to build a life with you, walk beside you, no matter what. I just ask one thing, please, learn how to vacuum, I hate doing it _all_ the time. " Wade uncharacteristically giggled like a child as Mark tickled his ribs.

"Just for you, I will conquer that damn machine. At least I dust, do dishes, _and_ take out the trash. Now, I'll leave you to finish here. I'll go tell Shawn and William the plan is on. I knew you'd want Shawn to have a part, but your Uncle will do the actual ceremony. When you do finish, William has something for you." He gave Wade a sound kiss on the lips and a swat on his backside.

Wade growled then laughed. He happily went on with his work. No matter what, the sacrifice was the most important thing right at the moment.

Adam stood on a footstool while Paige pinned the hem of the ivory colored robe Adam wore. It was covered with symbols and scroll work in pure silver thread. It was a special ceremonial robe from William's personal wardrobe and he was honored to wear it.

"There, Sir. If you will just slip out of this, I'll have it ready for you." Paige said as she stood up to help Adam remove the delicate fabric.

"Thank you, Paige. I wish I could clone you and take you back home. I can't sew on a button. Poor Roman has to pay the cleaners to do it, unless my ma or Jay's ma has time." Adam said with a laugh as he stepped off the footstool.

Paige gave a bit of a smile. "I can show you how, if you want." She spoke as she folded the robe neatly and picked up her sewing basket.

Adam laughed. "You can try. Jason's mother is a Home Economics instructor, and she gave up trying to teach Heath and I how to sew. Said it was too dangerous. Hunter had to remove a broken needle from Heath's thumb once, it was awful." He made a grimace face as he recalled the incident.

Both Paige and William chuckled, not at what had happened to poor Heath, but at the expression on Adam's face. The maid then left to get the robe altered in time.

"She's a good girl. She was abandoned by her family. They said she was an embarrassment. She has no special gifts. Her family are all gifted psychically in some way or another, but she is not. She's been here five years and is an angel. Her family... well fuck them." William snarled as he told Adam about Paige.

"She's better off here, William. Thank you so much for all your hospitality. It was a lot to take us all in like refugees. Are you sure you don't want us to go to a hotel?" Adam asked as he slipped into his shoes.

"Absolutely not. This house needs to be used. Paige and Damien are loving having so much to do. Gets pretty boring around here just looking after me. You are all excellent house guests..." He paused when a knock echoed on the door.

"Come in, Mark" William said with a wink to Adam. Few knew William was also a bit telepathic.

Mark stepped into the room He had a huge smile on his face. Adam knew something was up. "Want me to leave?" Adam asked politely as he finished tying he laces of his sneakers.

"No, it's alright. Not a secret any longer. William, he agreed! Adam, after your sacrifice ceremony tonight, Wade and I are going to get married. Shawn and William are going to do the legalities." Mark's eyes danced with happiness. Once he'd made up his mind, he was thrilled and couldn't wait.

Adam gasped, threw his arms around Mark and hugged him. "I'm so happy for you. How funny. You know when were lying there, recuperating, Wade told me he so wished to be married here. He was reluctant to tell you. He didn't want you to think he was being pushy. Made me swear not to say anything to you or anyone else. He must be on cloud nine. What can I do to help?" Adam's voice was filled with excitement. He smiled and his eyes were bright with joy.

William answered. "Good, I'm glad. I'll get with Shawn to finish the details. I'll also tell Sandow, he was fairly sure it would happen so he has things well in hand for the after party. Did you tell Wade to come see me?"

Mark nodded." Yes, I did. Thank you, William. When will Roman and Hunter be back?" He asked Adam with a grin.

Adam pulled out his pocket watch. "They had a one o'clock tee time... I'd say around four-thirty or five. I'm so glad Hunter talked Roman in to going. He needed to get out and golf is perfect." He replied with a smile.

"Chris said he and Evan would be back from their ride at four. Bray and his boys from their hike at five. Seth, Dean and Shawn are playing cards. So, I'd say have tea at five-thirty. That's plenty of time. Rey will have the Coven there at nine. Mark, you and Adam go relax. I'll see if Wade needs any... oh, guess not," William smiled as his nephew came into the room.

Mark kissed Wade, Adam hugged him and then he and Mark left Wade and William to talk. Adam couldn't wait to tell the happy news.

"He's like a little boy. I've never seen him like that. It's nice actually. Mark is always so... stoic. When he does laugh, it's wonderful. You wanted to see me about something?" Wade smiled happily, which was also a rare thing.

William picked up a large box that was on the bed. "It's good to see you so happy as well. Now, I have something for you." He handed Wade the box.

Wade took the box with a look of curiosity. He pulled off the lid. He found a White Wizard's robe. It was made of a beautiful, soft, sliver lamé fabric. It was covered with symbols and scroll work like any other Wizard's robe. The difference was, the work was done with tiny, seed sized crystals. It had obviously been made to wear for a very special occasion.

"I kept that for you. You father wore it when he married your mother. He also wore it on the day he was initiated as a High Priest. He left it to you. I thought you might like to have it. It would like nice on you. You should see how the moon and torches make the crystals glitter, like stars." William explained as he helped Wade try on the beautiful robe.

The robe fit like it had been made, just for Wade. "Thank you, Uncle. I will wear it proudly. I wish I could have seen him before he died..." Wade's voice grew sad. He then continued. "Have you seen... mother?"

William sighed. "I'm sorry, son. I have not. My sister seems to have vanished. No one in the family has heard anything either. She broke your father when she left, he never really recovered. He will be with you tonight, his ashes were spread at the Henge. Don't be sad, son. She's _my_ sister and I think she's a fucking twat." He gave Wade a smile and a pat on the shoulder.

Wade nodded. "You're right. I'm not going to let thoughts of her spoil this day, or my mood. I can't believe how perfectly this fits. I'll change into it after the sacrifice, but don't tell. I want to surprise Mark. He was quickly back to his previous happy mood.

"It should fit. You're a carbon copy of him. He loved you, so much. No, not a world To Mark. Now on to other matters. Is the sacrifice ready?" William asked as he helped his nephew _out_ of the robe.

Wade carefully folded the near tissue paper like robe and put it back in the box. "Yes. I have triple checked everything, but it won't offend me if you check as well. All I have to do now is teach Adam the chant." He put the lid tightly on the box.

"I'm sure you got it right, but I will check it. Too important not to. You go find Adam, he _must_ learn the chant. It's fairly simple. Now go, and Wade Alexander, I love you. I hope you and Mark have a wonderful, happy marriage." William gave Wade a hug and kissed his cheek.

Wade hugged and kissed his Uncle in return. "I love you, too. I know we well, Mark is wonderful. Thank you again for this." Wade smiled, took the box and went to find Adam.

Adam was in the garden. He sat on a stone bench. Adam was in a deep mental conversation with his grandmother. _"...I'm going to the Henge tonight..."_ he finished explaining about the ceremony.

" _Good, you must do what is right. I was with Roman the entire time, he was so sad and broken. I've never felt such love in my being, not even from your dear grandfather. He sends his love as well. Are you truly feeling alright? I feel you are not telling me everything."_ Adam's grandmother's voice was like a soft caress in his mind.

Adam shook his head. _"I can't fool you. I feel fine. I'm … nervous about returning to investigating. I want to help people and lost spirits, but what if..."_ He didn't want to even think it, let alone say it.

" _I can fully understand that, but you must do it. Your gift was given to you to use, to help others. You can't go through life afraid. You've been jumped before, and remember, demons seldom strike twice. You're protected now by The Dragon; God. What ever you choose to call it. Don't push yourself, little Addy. You will know when you're ready. Wade is coming to talk to you, little one."_ She gave Adam a mental hug and vanished from his psychic sight.

Adam opened his eyes and saw Wade looking for him. He called out to the Wizard. Wade smiled when he saw Adam. He waved and joined Adam on the bench. For the next hour or so, Wade and Adam went over the chant and the ritual they would perform later that evening.

Everyone had returned from their various activities and had dressed a bit more formally than usual for dinner. Even Dean wore a nice button down shirt and black dress slacks. When Wade and Mark made their announcement, the entire group cheered and toasted the couple.

Mark and Wade waited until dessert had been eaten, then the couple stood. Mark spoke first. "As you know, I love all you guys like brothers. I wish I could ask you all, but I can't. Roman, would you do me the honor and be my best man?"

Roman smiled and stood. "I'd be honored, thank you." He reached across the table and shook Mark's hand. No one was offended, they knew Mark and Roman were good friends. It had been the right decision.

It was Wade's turn to speak. "I feel the same as Mark. Adam, I would be honored to have you be _my_ best man. If you would?" He smiled at Adam like a giddy school boy.

Adm stood and also reached across to shake Wade's hand. "It's my honor, thank you for asking." He was just as happy as Wade.

At eight-thirty, Everyone gathered in the library. It was time to go to Stonehenge for the ritual and the wedding afterwards.

Adam was dressed in his borrowed robe. Paige had lowered the hem to a perfect length. The other College Hill Ghost Hunters wore plain black robes. Damien had borrowed the robes from various members of the Coven. Bray was going, but Erick and Luke were not. Both Mark and Wade understood. They didn't want the two men to feel uncomfortable and out of place.

The group moved out to the balcony. Sandow had a staff torch for each man. Once they were lit, William led the line of men down the path that would eventually end in the heart of Stonehenge.

Even though the National Trust ran the tourist side of Stonehenge, William had access any time he so desired. If he wished, he could close it to tourists, but he never wanted that. He felt anyone should be able to visit the Henge.

Rey and his Coven, now complete with the arrival of Sandow, had built a bonfire inside the central inner ring of Stonehenge. It was the most sacred spot. It was where the Henge, or door to the other world was located.

Stonehenge was built between 3000 BC and 2000BC with thirty million hours of human labor. Was it built for astronomical or other purposes? No one really knew for sure. There is evidence of both. It was a cremation burial ground since the Sarsen stone phase of construction. It was also used used as a place of healing. It was produced by a culture that left no written record.

The blue stones, weighing two to four tons each were transported from the Preseli Hills in Wales, 250 miles away. Because there were no builders records, no one can say how the blue stones got there.

The care of Stonehenge came to William Regal's family with the Druids, and William took that role of caretaker seriously. He went to the Henge every day, no matter the weather and would do so till the day his own ashes were spread over the sacred land.

William instructed the group to stay in the boundary of the outer circle. He then led Adam and Wade to the bonfire in the center of the Henge.

Curious people, who stopped along the road a mile away were waved on by the private security company William hired on occasions like this.

The thirteen men of the Coven, torches in hand, began to slowly walk, counter clockwise along the line of the middle circle. They walked in silence, their job was to keep away any evil with with the light of their sage laced torches.

The hoods of William's, Wade's and Adam's robes were raised, their faces hidden. William raised his hands. "Great Father Dragon, Great Mother Earth, we are here to give you thanks and make a sacrifice in your honor." He nodded to Wade.

Wade and Adam stepped into the inner circle. Adam followed behind Wade. Wade had divided the sacrificial soil into two leather pouches, each man carried one.

Wade and Adam walked around the great fire. They chanted a prayer of thanks. At each of the four directional compass points, Wade and Adam each threw a some of the blood soaked and saged soil into the fire. When they reached north once again, they threw in the final handfuls of dirt.

They chanted once more chorus of the prayer, then threw the pouches into the fire as well. The flames flared up even more where the pouches landed. The sparks and smoke formed into the head of of a dragon. It only lasted for a few, split seconds, but it was there.

William again raised his hands. "Thank you, Great Father Dragon, we praise your generous spirit. We thank you for your protection." When he lowered his arms, the flames died down to a friendly, cheerful fire.

Wade and Adam lowered their hoods. "Now, it is _truly_ over." Wade spoke with a satisfied smile.

Adam smiled. "I can feel it. I'm well and truly free. Thank you." He gave Wade a one armed embrace. Rey and the Coven bid their goodbyes and left. Sandow walked back to the house, he had a wedding reception to finish preparing for.

Adam and Wade took their torches and went to the Heel Stone. The stone was to the northeast of the inner Sarsen circle. The rough stone rose sixteen feet above the ground and leaned toward the stone circle.

Wade told Adam the story of the stone, as Adam helped Wade change robes. "The folklore around the stone stated that the Devil bought the stones from a woman in Ireland. He wrapped them up and brought them to the Salisbury Plain. One stone fell into the river Avon, but the rest were carried to the Plain. The Devil declared no one would ever find out how the stones got here. A Friar replied, "that's what you think!" The Devil threw one of the stones and struck the Friar on the heel. The stone had been stuck in the ground ever since." Wade finished the story as Adam tied the silver cord that closed Wade's beautiful ceremonial robe.

"I will use that story in my Folklore Class. Oh Wade, I know it's a bit... um.. girlish... but that robe is beautiful in the moon and torch light. Mark will be speechless." Adam smiled and gave the robe a final, gentle tug of adjustment.

Wade looked a bit sheepish. "Thank you. It was my father's ceremonial robe. Now, you change. I'm getting really nervous. Oh, here is the ring. Good thing Mark brought them just in case." Wade handed Adam a black wedding band. He and Mark had bought matching wedding bands one day on a whim after their engagement. When the couple saw the black wedding bands they had to have them. The narrow band of Wade's black ring perfectly complimented his black widow spider engagement ring.

Adam changed into a ceremonial white robe that Wade had also put in the box. This robe had different types of scroll work, symbolic of love and life. When he finished, Adam carefully put Wade's ring for Mark in his pocket. The robes they wore for the previous ceremony were neatly folded and put in the box. Adam would retrieve the box after the wedding.

Shawn, torch in hand, approached Wade and Adam. "Oh Wade, dare I say it? You look... beau... no... handsome, the robe _is_ beautiful. I just want to say, thank you for asking me to be part of the wedding. It means a lot to me." He spoke warmly. He wore a black button down with his clerical collar and white stole. He also wore matching black dress pants and black boots.

"I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Are they ready?" Wade's eyes shone with excitement in the torch light.

Shawn laughed. "More than. I've never seen Mark so nervous or excited. Roman is having a hard time keeping him calm. Now, give it five minutes, then come to the fire." Shawn instructed with a smile. He went back, torch in hand to give the "five minute warning" to the others.

Wade looked at Adam, he was shaking a bit from nerves. "Adam, will it be different now? I mean, Mark and I live together, but will marriage change things?" He almost looked like a lost child as the pre-wedding nerves hit him full force.

Adam grinned. "Yes, things will change, but for the better. You'll fight, that's normal. But, good times and bad times are better, because you'll never go through them alone. Marriage increases the love you share. Plus, it will be the most wonderful thing, when Mark says, 'this is my husband.' It's nice to belong to someone, have someone love you and care for you. But, the best part is, having someone to love and care for in return. Marriage is... simply... wonderful." He hoped he'd said the right things, but it was how he felt.

"Thank you, Adam. I was hoping you'd say something like that. I'm ready to share my soul with Mark." Wade's smile was wide, and his eyes glittered.

It was time. Adam and Wade took their torches in hand. Wade waited until Adam was bout ten paces ahead of him. He then began his walk, gaining confidence with each step.

Mark and Roman stood next to the cheerful bonfire. William and Shawn faced them. The rest of the College Hill Ghost Hunters stood in a semi circle to the left. Chris stood behind Evan and held him close. Jason and Dean held Heath and Seth in much the same way. Bray Wyatt stood next to Chris and Evan. They had all removed their robes revealing the nice dress clothing they had worn for dinner.

Roman smiled proudly when he saw Adam approach. He thought the the white robe made Adam glow in the moonlight. Adam was so beautiful, and he was so thankful his beloved was back.

Wade and Adm stopped several feet away. This was a Druid wedding and there were many things that had to happen. Mark didn't care how long it took, this was going to be Wade's dream wedding. Wade was glorious in the beautiful, glittering robe.

William began the rite. "Let there be peace to the East, so let it be. Let there be peace to the South, so let it be. Let there be peace to the West, so let it be. Let there be peace to the North, so let it be. Let there be peace through all the worlds, so let it be." He faced each of the directions as he spoke, until he once again faced the front. William then continued.

"We gather here in peace, for this sacred occasion, the Rite of Marriage, between Wade Barrett and Mark Calaway. As our circle is woven and consecrated, this moment in time and the place became blessed. Let each soul truly be here, that the spirits of those gathered may be blended in one sacred space, with one purpose and one voice." William then took a handful of white salt. He cast and created a large magic circle. Shawn followed and blessed the circle with Holy Water.

Roman, Mark and the others stepped inside the circle. Adam and Wade came to the outer edge, but did not yet cross into the sacred space.

William recited a long Druid prayer, but it asked each of the Guardians of the Four Directions to bless them with their gifts. The north to teach love and loyalty. The East, the power of regeneration. The South to teach of power and courage, along with the power of truth. The West, the power of laughter and play. He asked each of the four spirits to honor the circle as they were honored. He asked them to witness and bless the Rite, with a hail and welcome.

Adam then brought Wade into the circle to face William and Shawn at the stone alter. Wade was finally able to stand next to Mark. Mark gave Wade a smile. Wade knew by the glimmer in Mark's eye, that his future husband highly approved of the robe he wore.

Shawn spoke. "Who brings this gentle man to be wed this night?" Adam replied. "I do." Adam then gently nudged Wade to stand closer to Mark. Adam then placed Wade's right hand in Mark's left.

Shawn continued. "We gather on this June night, in the eye of the moon and upon this hallowed earth, to witness this sacred Rite of Marriage, between Wade and Mark. A Rite that is both blessing and renewal of their precious union. To know where we have come to, let us honor what and whom have brought them to this place." He took a step back and William stepped up.

William began. "In the name of our Gods and the Gods of our Ancestors, we give thanks. Especially for the blessings bequeathed to Wade and Mark by their Ancestors, present at this Rite in body and spirit, acknowledge all that has been given, the Sacred Gift of Life. The hardest lessons taught through love and tears, the bond you share and the individuals that you are. Let those Ancestors also be honored at this time." William paused to let the words soak in.

Shawn took over. "Let us take a moment to attune to this presence, that we may bring ourselves fully to the importance of this time and place." Shawn then read the passage from his Bible about "Love Is" from First Corinthians.

It was William's turn again. He smiled at the couple before him. "Wade Stewart Alexander Barrett and Mark William Calaway, do you come to this place of your own free will?"

Mark and Wade replied in chorus. "I do."

William went to the couple and indicated for them to follow him. They walked around the fire. They stopped first at the East. William looked at the couple and spoke. "Through times of uncertainty, through winds of change will you still love and honor each other?"

Mark and Wade answered. "We will." The trio then moved and stopped at the South.

"Through the flames of passion and when the fires burn low, will you still love and honor each other?" William asked the couple.

Again came the chorused reply of "We will." They moved to he West.

William asked. "Through the white water currents and deep still pools of emotion, will you still love and honor each other?"

Mark and Wade responded. "We will." Finally they moved to the north.

William asked the last question. "Through the cold times of restriction, when problems seem immovable, will you still love and honor each other.

"We will." Came the couples echoed reply. The three men then moved back to to the stone alter. They resumed their proper places.

William motioned for Mark and Wade to face each other. Mark held out his hands, palm up, Wade placed his hands, palms down on top of Mark's. Roman and Adam then bound Mark and Wade's hands together with a silk ribbon of gold and silver. When they finished, Roman and Adam went back to their places. William smiled and nodded to Wade and Mark. Each man took a deep breath. Together they spoke.

"You can not possess me for I belong to myself, but, while we both wish it, I give you what is mine to give. You can not command me, for I am a free person. I pledge to you that it will be your eyes into which I smile every morning. I pledge to you my living and my dying, each equally in your care. I shall be a shield for your back, and you for mine. I shall not slander you, nor you me. I shall honor you above all others, and when we quarrel, we shall do so in private and tell no strangers of our grievances. This is my wedding vow to you. This is a marriage of equals." Both Mark and Wade had tears in their eyes. It was a very powerful moment as they spoke to each others hearts and souls, on the land of the Ancients.

William sniffed and spoke again. "These vows will bind you together, soul to soul, heart to heart. All things in nature are circular. Night becomes day, then day becomes night, spring to summer to autumn to winter then back to spring. These are the flowing rhythms of the Cycle of Existence. Yet, in the center of the circle is the stillness of the source, eternal and brilliant. Wade, Mark do you bring with you this night, your symbols of these mysteries of life?" William looked at the couple, a smile on his face.

Wade and Mark again spoke in unison. "We did." Roman and Adam then took each ring they held and walked up to Shawn, who stood beside the later.

Shawn took the beautiful matching black, titanium wedding bands. He silently blessed them with the sign of the cross. With a whispered "Amen" he handed them to William.

William held the rings in the palm of his hand. He then placed the black bands on the alter. He muttered an ancient chant under his breath as he lit a bundle of sage with a snap of his fingers. He saged and salted the rings while still muttering the ancient words. William blew out the sage and spoke loud and clear once again.

"Then may they be blessed for they are an outward sign and a sacred reminder of your commitment witnessed this night. Do you Wade and Mark vow to bring the light of love and joy into this your union?"

"We do" The couple replied to the Druid Priest.

Shawn then picked up the long, thick beeswax taper candle that lay, unlit on the alter. He held the taper up to a torch and lit it. When the flame burned sure and bright, Shawn gave the candle to William.

William held the candle, his eyes glittered in the soft light. "Do you vow to honor each other as you honor that which you hold most sacred?"

Wade and Mark replied with a nod. "We do"

Roman and Adam went to the couple and untied he hand-fasting cord they had previously tied. Together, the Reigns' placed the cord back on the alter. The stepped back to their places.

William then took the rings and held them out to the couple. Wade placed one of the rings on Mark's left ring finger, Mark then did the same with Wade. They held left hands and spoke.

"We swear by peace and love to stand, heart to heart, hand to hand. Hark, O Spirit and hear us now, confirming this our sacred vow." The couple smiled at each other and Mark gave Wade's hand a gentle squeeze.

William went back to the alter. He picked up a small, round bit of blue-stone that had come from Stonehenge its self. "You have chosen this stone, together, as a foundation of stone of your marriage from this point on. Do you swear upon it, as a symbol of this sacred land and our holy Mother Earth, to keep your vows?" William walked to the couple, the small stone in his hand.

Mark and Wade each put their left hand on the stone as William held it. "We swear."

William spoke. "The let the Earth bear witness, that Wade Barrett and Mark Calaway are joined in love, joy and freedom. So let it be!"

Shawn joined William and they spoke together. "Let your vows be sealed with a kiss!"

As the newlyweds kissed, the members of the College Hill Ghost Hunters showered the couple with flower petals. Sandow had given each man a small pouch of the petals before they'd left the house.

William spoke once again. "Let all bear witness that Mark and Wade are joined in love as husband and husband. Through the vows of their marriage, witness and blessed, may heir love partake of the beauty, majesty and power of the Sacred Earth."

Shawn picked up the speech. "My own blessing of all these assembled here be with you. The blessings of your gods, my God and the gods of your ancestors be with you. The blessing of the ancestors also be with you. With you and with all that comes of your union. So let it be!"

It was now time to continue the celebration back at Regal Manor. William and Shawn led the procession. Adam quickly retrieved the box of robes and joined Roman.

"That was beautiful." Adam said with bit of a sigh. He held Roman's hand tightly.

"Do you regret our wedding?" Roman asked curiously. It was something he'd always worried about.

Adam looked at his husband, he saw the worry in the dark eyes. "No, Islander. I didn't really want a big wedding. At least it was in Shawn's office and not the Court House. Think Chris and Evan will have a big wedding?" He sounded a tad wistful.

Roman shrugged. "I know one thing. If Evan wants it, Chris will do it. That man is crazy in love... like me." He stopped and pulled Adam in for a very passionate, sloppy, wet kiss.

Chris and Evan walked hand in hand. Evan whispered softly. "Druids sure like to use a lot of words. I just want regular, simple, easy vows." He laughed a bit as he stole a glance at his ring. It glittered in the moon and torch light.

Chris smiled at his fiancé. "You can have what ever kind of wedding you want. I'll be there, no matter what." He too stopped and gave Evan a kiss.

Mark held Wade's hand tightly. "You look incredible in that robe. You looked like, do look like a glowing angel, my angel. I love you, Wade Calaway" He raised Wade's hand and kissed it like Prince Charming.

Wade lips formed a giddy, goofy grin. "Wade Calaway, I love the sound of that. Uncle William kept the robe for me. My father wore it. I had hoped to get into the village to buy a robe, then Uncle had this. Oh Mark, I am so... happy." Tears glittered in Wade's eyes. Neither he nor Mark were overly emotionally about things. They were always stoic and took things as they happened and dealt with them in a straightforward manner. However, Wade felt that a wedding was a pretty good reason to show his emotions.

"I'm happy too. It feels... right... now. You bring me peace, Wade. I've never had that with anyone before. I love you for that. I'll tell you though, as handsome as you look in that robe, I can't wait to take it off you." He gave Wade a very lust filled smirk.

Wade actually blushed. "I can't wait either. I... um... missed you while I was recovering. I really love Adam, but that boy hogs the covers and good fucking hell, his feet are like blocks of ice!" He shuddered as he thought of Adam's cold feet.

"Tell _me_ about it!" Roman said with a laugh. He and Adam walked just behind the newlyweds.

Adam gave both Roman and Wade whacks on the back of the head. "I am not a cover hog and my feet are sweet and warm!" He pouted in protest.

Nothing more could be said, they had arrived back at the house and the mood became serious one again as William instructed everyone to form a circle around Wade, Mark and himself, just off the patio.

Sandow stood ready with a loaf of bread and a mead filled drinking vessel, made from a stag horn. He handed them to William. William then gave the loaf of thickly crusted bread to Wade and the horn to Mark. William cleared his throat then spoke.

"As the Gods of our Ancestors have blessed you with life, love and abundance, so you now honor them." William gave Mark and Wade a nod.

Wade broke off a bit of bread and sprinkled the crumbs onto the ground. Mark then poured a bit of the mead over the crumbs. Wade broke off another bit of bread and fed it to Mark. After Mark at the bread, he held the horn to Wade's lips. Wade sipped the mead with a smile. Wade and Mark passed the bread and mead to William. Eventually the bread and mead were shared around the circle, ending again with Mark and Wade. Mark then fed Wade a bite of the bread, and Wade held the vessel for Mark to sip from, it completed the circle.

The Grand Wizard again spoke. "The Rite of Marriage is complete. May the world be filled with love, beauty and harmony. May these gifts remain with us as we bid the Spirits of our Ancestors, hail and farewell! Let the circle be open, that these blessings be shared and the feasting my begin. Blessed be as blessed is."

The group moved onto the patio. The June night was unusually warm, a fire burned in the ring built into the patio and the torches lit the area.

There was a huge amount of food that Paige and Sandow had prepared. Roast turkey, beef, pork, duck and chicken along with salads and vegetables.

Celtic music played on the CD player and the eating, dancing and celebrating went on until the eastern sky grew pink and orange as the sun prepared to rise on a new day.


	30. The First Time Back

By the time the wedding feast finally ended, it was nearly eight o'clock on Saturday morning. Adam and Roman were in the bedroom they had been given on the second floor. It was furnished like the other room and the color scheme was navy blue, ivory and sliver gray.

Adam waited in the huge bed for Roman to finish in the bathroom. Adam had showered first, so now he had a moment to himself. Adam was feeling very horny and he hoped Roman wouldn't turn him down again. Roman had not shown any sexual interest since the "incident" as they called the possession.

Roman had said it was because he wanted to make sure Adam had fully recovered. Adam hoped that was all it was, but he was afraid there was more to it than that. What if Roman now thought he was ugly and tainted?

Adam had gone to bed naked, as usual, but he hoped to tempt Roman. He had the sheets pulled up, but only just enough to cover his cock. Adam made sure his "V" showed as well as his hip dents, just enough to be desirable and not be down right slutty looking. He looked anxiously at the bathroom door as it opened.

Roman came out of the bathroom, with only a towel around his waist. His long hair was still damp and hung in sexy, lose waves down his back and over both shoulders. He looked so incredibly handsome, Adam couldn't help but lick his lips with lust and desire.

Roman too noticed how delicious Adam looked. The little diva know just how to tease him with a simple arrangement of the sheets.

Adam looked up at his husband. Roman had gone to the windows and pulled the heavy velvet drapes closed so they could get some sleep without the sun in their eyes.

"Islander... am I... tainted now?" Adam looked down, he fiddled with the hem of the sheet with his long, graceful fingers.

Roman knew then he'd made a horrible mistake. He sat on the side of the bed next to Adam. Roman tucked a stray strand of damp, blond hair behind Adam's ear. He then gently lifted Adam's chin with his finger tips.

"No baby, you aren't tainted, you're beautiful. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have... I wanted to be sure you were ready. I didn't want to push you. I'm so sorry, baby. You are nothing but desirable to me, you teasing little slut." Roman teased as he tugged on the sheet in Adam's hand.

Adam smiled and looked at his husband. "I'm glad... I was afraid you didn't want me any more after... Ro? Make love to me?" He flushed a bit as he looked down.

Roman stood without a word. He let the towel fall from his hips. He stood naked, his cock already growing hard. Roman pulled the covers from Adam's body. He didn't pay any attention to the yellowish bruises that remained on Adam's wrists and a bit on his ankles. Adam no longer had to wear bandages, the cuts had closed and were almost healed.

Roman gave a low growl and a lewd lick of his lips as Adam's body was revealed to him. "You're so beautiful, my Viking." Roman spoke softly as he slipped into the bed.

"My handsome Islander." Adam husked in reply. He lifted his arms out to Roman. Roman slipped into Adam's arms and settled on top of his slighter bodied spouse.

Roman softly took Adam's lips with his. Adam's large, soft, warm hands caressed Roman's broad, muscular back.

Their tongues slowly slid against each other as they drank in each others taste like a fine, aged wine. Roman's hands held Adam's face gently, his thumbs caressed through Adam's light beard.

Adam spread his legs open and pulled them up. He trapped Roman's hips with his knees. His movement caused their groins to grind together and their cocks to rub against each other. That alone sent sparks up their spines and course through every nerve.

Each kiss, each caress was slow and deliberate. It was if their bodies were getting to know each other again. Roman reached down and took both his and Adam's cocks in his grasp. Adam let out a soft whimper that sounded of both pleasure and relief.

The Islander tugged and lightly twisted the flesh of their hot, leaking erect cocks. The sensation was wonderful as their cocks were pressed together in Roman's strong hand.

While Roman worked their cocks, Adam's hands explored what ever part of of Roman's flesh he could touch. He felt the slightly raised tattoos, the striation of Roman's muscles and teased at Roman's hard nipples.

When Roman moved so he could begin to finger open Adam's puckered hole, Adam stopped him. "No need... I had hopes..." His whisper was hot in Roman's ear. Adam then raked Roman's ear lobe between his teeth.

Roman gave Adam a curious look. He reached down to Adam's hole. He felt the ring of the butt plug they sometimes played with. "You dirty little boy. Sticking that up your naughty hole." He nipped at Adam's shoulder as he gave the plug a sharp wiggle.

Adam gave a yelp and Roman's action with plug made him thrust his hips. That caused their cocks to be tightly squeezed together by Roman's hand. Both men let out groans of pleasure.

The soft caresses and sweet kisses continued. It had been a long time since the couple had spent such a long time simply touching and exploring. It felt so good to both Adam and Roman.

Roman slowly began to feel the hot coil deep in his belly. He gave their cock a last tug and let go. Adam whimpered at the loss of Roman's hand, he'd been so close to erupting.

"Want to cum in that hot hole." Roman growled, his breath warm in Adam's ear. He then languorously sucked on Adam's ear lobe. As he ran his tongue long the outer shell of Adam's ear, he reached down and slowly pulled and tugged on the large butt plug. It finally released with a slick, wet, very soft "pop". Adam moaned at the slight burning sensation.

Roman grabbed the bottle of lube that Adam had put on the bedside table. He'd used it to slick up the butt plug to use while Roman was in the shower. Roman used a generous amount of the oily liquid to make his cock slick.

Roman raked his teeth down Adam's neck. "Ready?" He asked as he gently bit Adam's neck like a seductive vampire.

"Yes, Ro, please. I need you. Need to know I'm not... spoiled or tainted." Adam whined his words.

Roman grabbed his slick cock and guided the tip to the stretched hole of Adam's ass. Roman slowly pushed in. He let out a sigh, it felt so damn good. While the hole had been stretched, it was still tight and oh so wonderfully hot.

Adam reached between their bodies to pull on his cock, but Roman slapped his hand away. "Mine" Roman husked over Adam's lips.

Roman wrapped his hand around Adam's shaft once again. He moved his hand up and down and slowly began to pull his hips back. His slow, muscular, languid motions were almost catlike.

Adam raised his left leg and hooked his knee over Roman's shoulder. He loved it, because it angled his hips in such a way, Roman's cock would rube against that glorious bundle of nerves. Roman gave a little laugh as they kissed deeply. His boy wanted to feel all the could. Who was Roman to deny what Adam wanted and so desperately needed to feel.

The couple continued to make love. They enjoyed he slow pace. It wasn't often they made simple love. They both loved fast, rough and playful, but sometimes slow and tender was such a beautiful change.

All to soon, but men knew their cocks were ready to spill their milky liquid. Roman knew Adam was close. He stroked Adam's cock a bit faster and his thumb pressed the sensitive tip. Adam came with a mind blowing sensation that spread through his nerves. He let out a cry of pleasure as his cock erupted.

Adam's ass muscles gripped Roman's cock and with a low, sexual moan, Roman's cock filled Adam. Roman collapsed on top of his husband and sighed in deep contentment. Adam wrapped his arms and legs around Roman, it was like a warm human blanket.

Roman melted into Adam, or at least he wished he could. He nuzzled into the crook of Adam's neck and inhaled the scent of a well sexed Adam. It was the best fragrance in the world.

Adam tried to pull Roman into his very body. He finally felt... normal. Roman didn't find him repulsive. Adam knew he was truly safe and secure. He inhaled Roman's sex laced scent and sighed in deep contentment.

They laid like that for a long time, shared more whispers and gentle caresses. Roman gave Adam a kiss, then broke their reverie and spoke.

"I'll be right back," Roman gave Adam another kiss, then rather reluctantly slid off Adam and got out of the bed.

Adam watched Roman walk across the room, he loved to watch Roman walk naked. His muscles rippled under his skin and Roman's ass was to die for. Adam stretched like a lazy, sun soaked cat.

Roman returned from the bathroom. He had a wet wash cloth in one hand and a towel in the other. He gently washed the cum from Adam's body and dried him gently. Roman then wiped the cum from the sheet. He took the dirty things back to the bathroom.

Adam slid over in the huge bed where the sheets were dry. Normally at home they would fall asleep cum stained, but never in someone else's home.

Roman came back to the bed. He lay on his side and pulled Adam in to spoon against him. Roman's head rested on Adam's shoulder and his arms held Adam tightly. They fell asleep secure in each others embrace and love.

In their room, Mark and Wade consummated their marriage, three times, and once more in the shower. The newlyweds finally slept in an exhausted embrace. It was the perfect ending to a perfect night.

William lay in his bed on the brink of sleep. He had stayed awake long enough for the Registry Office to open it's one hour to register weekend weddings, William officially registered Mark and Wade's marriage in the Royal Court.

As the Grand Wizard drifted off, he was really happy for the first time in a long time. He wished Wade and Mark would stay, but he also knew they were happy in Iowa. William also knew the College Hill Ghost Hunters needed Wade's skills and Mark's knowledge. William Regal closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Hunter and Shawn had also made love before going to sleep. Hunter was amazed that Shawn was still so... flexible, even more so now than in college, despite his bad back. They had done things a lot of younger couples could only dream about. They slept content in each others embrace.

Seth had ridden Dean's cock till Dean thought Seth had broken it. They now slept tightly in each others arms. A very satisfied smile still played on Dean's impish mouth.

Heath and Jay also joined the after wedding sex club. They had been as slow, tender and deliberate as Adam and Roman. Jay fell asleep on top of Heath. Heath's arms were wrapped around Jason, and he had no intention of ever letting go.

Evan too slept peacefully in Chris' arms. They had a talk before falling asleep. Chris had decided, he wanted to wait for their wedding night to make love for the first time.

Chris' words made Evan cry with happiness. Chris said he wanted to prove to Evan, their relationship was not based on sex. It touched Evan deeply, no one had ever shown him that much love, care and above all; respect. Their relationship grew even deeper. It was breathtaking.

At five o'clock in the afternoon everyone was on the patio, enjoying tea time. Paige had made tea sandwiches from the reception left overs.

Bray sipped his tea, then spoke. "Well, the boys and I are going to leave. Everything here is under control, and I need to get back to work. I have a million and one things to do before the fall term and boys have crops to tend. We're going to London in the morning. Luke wants to see Big Ben and Erick wants to see Buckingham Palace. William, thank you for everything. I really thought Adam was... thank you. Wade, Mark thank you too. May your marriage be a long and happy one. Seth, I'd like a copy of everything. I'd like to run it through the lab." He spoke frankly to the group.

Adam got up and went to his father figure, and mentor. He hugged Bray. "It means everything that you came when I needed you. I love you, Poppa Bray." Adam used the old nickname he called Bray when he was a boy.

Bray smiled softly. "I love you too, Addy boy. I'll always be there when you need me. You're my special boy." He gave Adam a hug in return. The group smiled at the sweet moment.

Monday dawned to another beautiful June day. Bray and his boys had left early on Sunday morning. Everyone but Mark, Wade and William had gone to church. They went to the huge and absolutely stunning Salisbury Cathedral.

They stayed after the service and took the tour. Even Jason and Dean were impressed, and that wasn't easy. Jason and Dean loved climbing to the top of the spires.

Chris lost himself. The Cathedral was where the Magna Carta was written and signed in 1215. He spent two hours looking at the historical document. The Cathedral had one of three original manuscripts. This year celebrated the 800th year, so a special exhibition of the document was on display. Evan finally had to drag Chris way because everyone was starving.

Before they left, everyone chipped in to sponsor a stone. For five hundred pounds, they sponsored a central window mullion. They had the letters "CHGH" inscribed on it. Now the College Hill Ghost Hunters had helped preserve he beautiful Cathedral. It made them feel good to give back to something so special.

Now, Monday found everyone gathered once again for breakfast on the patio. They were almost finished when William spoke. "What is the plan for the day? He asked with a puff of his cigar.

Heath bit his lip, but decided to speak up. "Well, um... I got a text message on the company phone..." He paused and pulled out the phone and called up the message. He read the text out loud.

"Saw on your web page you are in the United Kingdom. Have a place for you to investigate. If interested please, call me..." Heath finished reading he message. He looked over at Adam, with an anxious expression.

"You call them and them them no, nada, nyet, absolutely not!" Jason spoke so firmly spit flew out of his mouth.

"I agree with Jason." Hunter spoke with a firm nod.

Roman opened his mouth to speak, but Adam gently stopped him. "No, Heath. Call and find out what's what. I'm scared, but I have to do this now, or maybe I won't be able to do another investigation. I have to climb back into the saddle. Grandmother told me not to be afraid. I must use my gift to help people. Will you all support me and my decisions?" Adam looked at each member of his group. His last gaze fell upon Roman.

"Adam is right. It's what I was going to say. I'm proud of you, Viking." Roman gave Adam a handsome smile.

"But..." Jason started to once again protest, but Heath laid hand on his husband's arm.

"Remember what the Chief told you when you got shot in the leg? Get back to work as soon as possible, before you became too scared of being shot again. It's the same for Adam. Adam, boss, I'm behind you all the way." Heath too spoke firmly, and looked hard at Jason.

Shawn put in his thought. "Jason, you know Heath is right..." He gave Jason a pointed look. He'd spent many hours counselling Jason after the shooting. Shawn looked at Adam next. "Despite what he just said, Hunter and I will be behind you, always." Hunter nodded in agreement, he realized Shawn, Heath, and Roman were right. Adam had to do this now.

"So will Chris and I. I'm ready to try my gift. I managed to hold it shut when... well, let's just say, I won a battle as well." Evan spoke confidently and Chris nodded agreement.

"Seth and I are in. If Adam can't do it now... We've got your ass, always." Dean too spoke with authority.

"No better honeymoon than an investigation." Mark laughed with a nudge to Wade.

"I agree... maybe it will be some place really cool." Wade added with a smile, he was still as happy and giddy as school boy on holiday.

William added his thought. "Makes me envious of your comradeship. For the record, I agree, Adam needs to do this, especially now. Remember, he has very strong protection from the Henge." He finished with a puff of his cigar, and a nod to the ancient stones, standing to the west.

Adam looked at Heath. "As I said, call them and do the investigation interview." He gave the red head a grin.

For the rest of the day, everyone did their own thing. Chris and Evan went riding, Seth and Dean explored the town with Jason and Heath. Roman and Hunter went to play golf and this time, Shawn and Adam went with them to swim at the Country Club's pool. William went as well. As a member of the club, he loved to watch and play darts in the bar.

That evening, Paige and Sandow had prepared an American style cookout. They followed Heath's directions and made potato salad and delicious baked beans. They left the cooking of the hamburgers to Roman and Hunter.

They sat around the torch lit patio in the shadow of the setting sun. William looked at the larger hamburger with a curious eye. In all his life, the only time he'd ever eaten "minced" beef was in Paige's Cottage Pie, when there was no lamb for Shepherd's Pie. This, was a whole new experience.

"You mean, I am meant to get my mouth around this? And bite it? Without making a complete jackass out of myself?" William held a thick, fully loaded cheeseburger at eye level.

Wade laughed. "Yes, Uncle, a mess is expected. That's why you have a napkin. Now, watch the experts." He knew his Uncle had never touched foot inside a fast food restaurant or other "burger" joint. It was just the way William was.

William looked with wide, shocked eyes as Adam, Roman, Hunter and Mark all chomped down on their burgers. Their full mouths made their cheeks puff out like chipmunks as they chewed.

Dean shook his head. "No, not like that. Come on, Jay, Seth. Show him the _right_ way!" The three men pressed down their burgers with the palm of one hand. The burgers made a "squishing" sound as ketchup, tomato, mustard and mayonnaise oozed from the burgers.

William again looked, wide eyed, as they picked up the mangled burgers and bit into them. He shook his head and laughed.

"And you wonder why we think you Yanks are barbarians! Honestly! You boys slay me!" William howled with laughter. The others joined in, it felt so good to simply... laugh.

With a shrug, William cut his burger in half and took a bite. "Well, there's more than one way to eat a burger." He quipped as he swallowed the delicious bite of food.

After more fun banter, Heath spoke. "I called about the investigation. It's a place about twenty six miles from here. It's an old public house, called The Thatch. The report is of an old woman, in a rocking chair on the ground floor. They are closed this week for some renovations and would like us to come soon. They hope to find out who she is, why she is there and if she means harm." he finished reading from the notebook he'd already started for the case.

Chris swallowed a sip of ale. "After supper, I'll see what I can find out." He sounded excited. He was itching to have something to research. The Magna Carta exhibition had renewed his history "spirit".

"Perfect. Sounds like a fairly benign investigation to restart with. Heath, tell them we will come tomorrow, around seven in the evening..." Adam gave Heath the instructions then continued. "William, we would be honored to have you join us." He smiled at the Grand Wizard.

William looked surprised. "Why, I'd love to. Thank you, very much. I am honored that you would ask me." He was truly touched.

The men went on with happy talk. William even ate two huge burgers, but he didn't really care for the s'mores. William wasn't a fan of anything with marshmallows.

Chris and Heath went up to Seth's room to do research on the location. It didn't take very long, there wasn't much information on the internet and Chris didn't have access to records like he did on the University data base.

Half and hour later, back out on the patio, Chris sat, Evan next to him and gave the group the information. "It's a former gatehouse to the Udden Estate. It dates back to the sixteenth century. Best I could do without a better data base. Wikipedia sucks monkey balls. Do people actually use that site?" He had a rather sarcastic sneer on his lips.

Adam laughed. "I can sure tell when my students do. Good enough, Chris, we've gone with less. Everything will be the same. Squirt, Roman and I have decided, you can use your empathic psychometry. But, only after Mark and Wade say it's safe, okay?" Adam looked sternly at the young man.

"Yes, Sir! Thank you so very much! I _promise_ I won't do _anything_ without your say so! You were right, Chrissy, they _will_ let me!" Evan was as excited as a puppy with a new dingle ball. Chris gave Evan a wink.

For the next few hours, the College Hill Ghost Hunters made their plan for the investigation. They also filled William in on how they all met, then started the CHGH. William was impressed with how professional they all were, and how seriously they took it.

"I have to admit, at first I thought you would be like those ridiculous television ghost hunters, I have watched a time or two. All that shouting and carry on would frighten a spirit. That one from America... Adventures or some bosh, those three men are so disrespectful to the spirits. Brings a bad name to good folk like you." William spoke with disgust as Sandow poured brandy and passed out cigars to those that wished to partake.

Roman nodded. "Yes, they do. Some clients really question our methods before we investigate. They don't want us to disrespect the spirits, especially if they think it could be a family member. It's confusing for them sometimes because we use a lot of the same equipment they see on television. However, Seth always manages to make it better. He invented a re-figure for a teddy bear that..." for the next little while, Roman got carried away and extolled on Seth's inventions.

Adam finally stopped Roman when he saw that it was getting rather late. "Ro, baby, you're going to make Seth's ego even bigger. I'm ready for bed, we all need to be well rested for tomorrow. Mister Computer Tech, will you need anything?" Adam asked as he stifled a yawn with his hand and looked at Seth.

"Not really. I'll set every to recharge before I turn in. Every one do the same with your packs. Oh and for fucks sake, remember to double check all your devices are set to the 220 volt setting!" He looked around at the group.

Everyone assured him they would be careful. After bidding good night to their host, the ghost hunters went to their rooms for the night.

At seven the next evening, the College Hill Ghost Hunters arrived at the lovely, quaint Old Thatch pub. As Chris told them, it was built sometime in the sixteen-hundreds. It had a beautiful, traditional thatched roof, that looked nearly as old as the building itself. Anyone knew, even old thatch made one of the best kinds of roof.

Early builders knew how to use nature to keep Mother Nature's elements at bay. It insulated against rain, snow and wind. There was one danger; fire. The dried hay, reeds and grasses did tend to easily catch fire.

A young couple in paint spattered coveralls came out to meet the ghost hunters. Adam and Roman went to greet their clients as the others unloaded equipment. Seth began to set up the command post.

The young man shook Adam's offered hand. "Welcome to to the Old Thatch. This is Lizzie, my wife, and I'm Sam, Sam Parkinson."

"Hello, Mister Parkinson, I'm Adam and this is my husband, Doctor Roman Reigns. Thank you for contacting us. It's exciting and you are our first international clients. "He spoke in a friendly, but professional tone.

"Please, do call us Lizzie and Sam. We are so please that you made time for us. We searched the internet for serious paranormal groups, we saw that you had one of the best reputations. When we read you were In the UK, we just had to see if you were willing to take a busman's holiday. Sorry for our appearance, but we're doing a bit of renovation and cleaning. Come and we'll show you the pub." Sam swept his arm toward the building.

As the walked toward the pub, Roman spoke. "Please call us Adam and Roman. As a Doctor of Parapsychology, I'm thrilled to be about to investigate such an old, yet beautiful place. There's nothing like this in the States. So, tell us about your paranormal activity."

As they entered the building, Lizzie replied. "Well, we only have one ghost. She's an old woman. She seems to be wearing a black dress in Victorian style. She sits in the rocking chair and just... rocks. I've seen her, Sam has seen her, and so have many of our patrons." Lizzie explained as she pointed out the rocking chair.

Adam didn't touch the rocking chair, but he looked at it closely. "Does she look at you or look past you, like she doesn't see you? And do you know the history of the rocking chair?" He made notes in the case book Heath had given him as he asked questions.

Sam spoke up. "Both actually. Sometimes she looks at you, and you think she is going to speak, then she just... vanishes. Other times it's like she either can't see or ignores you. She has never spoken as far as we know. All I know about the chair is that an appraiser told us, it's an oak rocker, handmade, in the eighteen sixties. He said it was probably made in England, by a Scotsman. He valued it three years ago a round five hundred quid...er... pounds." He read from a sheet of paper that Lizzie had handed him.

"Thank you. Well, we'll take over from here. Seth, our Technical Specialist will set up several cameras and other devices around the room. But, we don't screw, nail or duct tape anything. Give Heath your contact number and he will call you to come lock up when we're finished. How long can we stay?" Adam asked as he looked at their clients.

Sam chuckled. "As long as you want, really. We live next door. Here's the key, lock up and put it in our mail slot. When will we meet again?" Sam asked as he handed Roman an old iron key.

"It usually takes us a couple of days to go over everything. We'll call to set up a follow up meeting. We'll bring you a disc, go over it with you, along with a written report. Also, please think about giving Roman permission to use the results of the investigation in his lab for his Doctoral students. They do sign anonymity contracts, so nothing is made public without your permission. It's the same for us as well. We only share the results with you." Adam spoke firmly as they all walked back out side.

Lizzie responded. "We'll see what the results reveal. We will discuss it." She looked at Adam with a pleasant smile.

Adam then introduced the Parkinson's to William and the other members of the College Hill Ghost Hunters. After Seth explained what kind of equipment they would set up, the Parkinson's went to their home next door to the Old Thatch. They knew their precious pub was in good hands.

This time, instead of Evan helping to set up the equipment, Adam pulled him aside and gave him strict instructions..

"I want you to stay right next to me. Don't talk to me telepathically, because everything needs to be recorded. If you feel anything and I mean anything, even slightly evil or off, lock your mind immediately. I want your first lead investigation to be fun, exciting and successful. Now, the first thing we'll do is just go in and stand quietly." By the time Adam had finished, Mark and Wade had gone into the pub and returned.

"Not even a glimmer of evil." Wade spoke with confidence as he looked at Adam and Evan.

The teams were made. Shawn, Hunter and Seth were going to monitor the computers at the command post. Mark, Wade and William were going to explore the cellars. Dean, Jason and Heath were going to investigate the second story and attic. Chris would be with Evan, Adam and Roman. He would be Evan's cameraman and use the FLIR from Sheamus. Roman had given him some advice on filming earlier in the day.

Everyone went to their places. Adam and Evan went to the rocking chair. Chris and Roman stood back and filmed their subjects. Both Adam and Evan closed their eyes and drank in the atmosphere.

Adam could feel his grandmother's presence, but she stayed out of the way. She only interrupted with an investigation when asked. After several minutes to let things settle, Adam gave Evan a gentle nudge.

While confident he could do the job, Evan's hand trembled slightly as he reached out to touch the armrest of the oak rocking chair. Chris honed in on Evan, through the lens. Adam went to stand by Roman, he wanted Evan to be on his own.

Evan slowly unlocked his empathic door. As each mental lock opened, Evan could feel his thoughts as they stretched out, almost like a wary animal, checking for a predator.

Chris noticed that as Evan kept his hand on the rocking chair, an aura began to grow around it. It had a rainbow effect like Adam's, but the primary and strongest colors were more blue to dark purple. Adam's was a true rainbow, with the warm colors being the strongest.

Evan's mind worked to focus just on the chair and not the thoughts of the other men in the Old Thatch. Both Bray and Adam had told him, that he must be able to focus his empathy or he would never be able to help with investigations.

Evan began to "read" the chair. He first caught flashes of a man in a kilt, polishing the chair with a cloth, a look of pride on his face. Another flash and the rocking chair was in a wagon, going down a tree lined lane. Next he saw a handsome man carrying the rocking chair into a light, airy room. An obviously pregnant woman smiled when she saw the gift her husband brought to her.

There was another flash, the woman now rocked with a baby in her arms. Flash, another baby and finally a third. The woman was a bit older with each new baby.

More flashes came, but they grew faster and faster. The children grew older as the mother sat in the rocking chair and watched them play. The chair was now in the living room of the house as she continued to watch her children grow. One flash, she was dressed in black.

The now grown children sat around their mother and comforted her. The chair was next to an open casket. Their father, her husband had died. The next flash, the woman, still in black, was all alone. The sadness Evan felt almost made him want to cry. Suddenly there was joy! Her children and their children were home for Christmas. Sadness again, the woman was ill, but she stayed in her beloved rocking chair.

There was the most brilliant flash of all, and when the vision cleared, the chair was empty. The next flash, and the rocking chair now sat in the room it was now. Only it wasn't a pub, it was a cheerful looking living room. One last flash, and the room was like it looked now.

Evan locked his empathic gateway again, and opened his eyes. He gave a satisfied sigh and turned to look at the others. Evan's eyes sparkled and a bright smile lit his face.

"I did it! I really did it! I saw it, clearly! I was able to just focus on the chair! I didn't even hear or see any thing else!" Evan was so excited, he vibrated. Chris thought his fiancé was absolutely adorable.

Adam went over to Evan and hugged him. "Good job, Squirt. Now, calm down and tell us what you saw. And Chris, keep filming." Adam spoke with a smile. He had that satisfied teacher feeling. His young student was improving.

Evan told Adam what he had seen. He was careful to leave nothing out. "... then, the last vision was of the rocking chair, right here, and in this very room. The woman spent her entire life in that chair, she loved it. I picked up that the chair was her comfort, she saw her whole life from it. I am thinking, perhaps she couldn't walk very well as she was always sitting in the chair." Evan spoke thoughtfully as the idea came to him.

Adam nodded. "Interesting theory and you might be right. Alright, my turn, let me see if I can speak to her." Adam indicated for Evan to go stand by Chris and Roman. Chris gave his boy a quick peck on the lips and a sly wink. Evan stifled a giggle, he was so happy.

Roman focused his FLIR on his husband. Adam touched the other arm of the rocking chair, he didn't want to pick up any of Evan's psychic "left overs". He closed his eyes.

Roman saw that Adam's aura, while faint, grew and spread over the chair, much, much faster than Evan's had. Adam's aura encompassed the whole chair, while Evan's had remained concentrated on where he actually touched the chair. It would be interesting to further study. Why? Was it experience? Or was it the different types of psychic energy they used?

Adam had a digital voice recorder in his other hand. He began to call out, asking the usual questions and leaving time between questions for a possible response.

"I'm going to call out mentally now, ask grandmother for help." Adam explained as he turned to look at the others. He left the digital recorder on, and tagged the fact that he now hung it on his belt.

He turned back to the chair, closed his eyes and telepathically called out. _"Grandmother, is she there?"_ He smiled when his grandmother approached.

" _I can't find her. I think she is very, very shy. She didn't have much life outside, and even less after her husband died. Her presence is extremely strong around the chair. Oh... wait... I think... yes... she is just over there... let me go see if she will speak to you..."_ Adam's grandmother vanished from his psychic sight.

Roman noticed the aura flickered from bright and sharp to a more mist like line. Chris watched with interest, he was now going to have to learn all about recording Evan.

The rainbow aura became clear and sharp again. _"_ _She won't speak to you, I'm sorry, little Addy. I'll try to speak to her for you if you like?"_ Adam's grandmother sounded irritated. She didn't like it when her fellow spirits refused to help her grandson.

" _Please do. Grandma, dear, don't get so put out. I know you want the spirits to help me, but you can't make them. I understand that. From what Evan gleaned, she hardly had any social contact. Just try and find out what you can. Take your time. Call me when you're finished."_ Adam spoke in gentle reapproval to his grandmother.

" _I know, little Addy. I just want to help you as much as I can. Alright, I will be back."_ Adam felt her kiss on his cheek as she went to talk to the rocking chair spirit.

Adam went to Roman, Evan and Chris. Roman kept his lens focused on the chair as he spoke. "Did she kiss your cheek?" Roman's brow was highly arched.

Adam nodded. "Yes she did..." he went on to tell about his conversation with his grandmother with a laugh. "... she still has her temper. Sometimes I feel sorry for the uncooperative spirits."

Evan gave a bit of a shocked gasp. "You... that's your grandmother." He thought Adam was being a bit disrespectful to the family matriarch, spirit or not.

Both Adam and Roman chuckled. Adam explained. "That's the way she was in life too. She wanted the best for ma and I, and God help anyone who interfered. She feels the spirits should help, always. I have to remind her, spirits are the way they were in life and she has to be patient. She knows I love her and I have the deepest respect for her. It's all in humor. Oh... I'm coming... she's back." Adam spoke aloud as he went back to the rocking chair. He placed his hand back on the arm of the chair.

"Wow!" Roman said under his breath. Chris and Evan moved to look at the small screen of the FLIR, Roman held. The rainbow aura had not only appeared crisp and bright, but now it not only encompassed the entire chair but the floor around it. Suddenly the chair began to slowly rock and the sitting form a woman became clear. She had sat down in her chair, and very slowly rocked it.

Adam's grandmother spoke to him. _"She came with me, but she's too shy to speak. She did live her life in the rocking chair. About a year after her third child was born, she got scarlet fever. She lost most of her sight and she could never walk again. She said this chair is where she feels most peaceful, it's her haven. She's sorry if she scared anyone. She means no harm, and loves to see all the people enjoying themselves in the pub. It took her a while to find where the chair had gone after her children had sold everything. Once she found it, she decided to stay. She promised not to appear if people are around. She also likes the young Parkinson's and she thinks they are very kind. She hopes they will let her stay, but understands if she must leave. But if they ask her to leave, it will banish her to an ever after of heartbroken sadness. Oh, and she won't tell me her name. Can she stay?"_ Adam's grandmother finished the lengthy story with a sigh.

Adam responded. _I'll speak to the Parkinson's and let you know. I'm sure they will let her stay, after all, they haven't taken any steps to ask her to leave, and they didn't tell me to ask her to leave either. Thank you, grandmother and thank the lady as well. I'll speak to you soon."_ Adam's mental voice was soft and gentle.

The rainbow was gone as quickly as it appeared. Roman shut off his camera, he knew by experience the investigation was over.

Adam confirmed Roman's assumption. "Grandmother is gone. I never heard her talk so much at one time. Only thing, the lady never told her name. Come on, we'll pack up now. I don't think there will be much data to go over." He gave a slight laugh.

Adam had been right. The only information from from the investigation was the woman's story as told by Adam's grandmother. No other spirits inhabited the Old Thatch. Roman did want to do a further study of the Psychic Aura Phenomenon, as he had started to call it.

Two days later, as promised, Adam, Roman, Evan and Chris met with the Parkinson's at the Old Thatch.

First, Evan gave his account. He was nervous at first, but as he spoke, he gained confidence. When he finished, Adam told the couple everything his grandmother had told him.

As Adam predicted, the Parkinson's said she could stay, but were glad she would not appear when people were around. Before they left, Adam's grandmother promised to relay the message.

The Parkinson's also gave Roman permission to let his students study the recordings from the session in his class. It would bring no harm to the pub.

Their first international, client based, investigation had been a success. Adam had easily jumped back into the saddle. He couldn't wait for a more difficult case.

That night William and the College Hill Ghost Hunters celebrated. William had been impressed with the way the group worked. He wanted to see more.

"You know, if you're willing to do something a bit more... meaty... there is a place you could investigate. They welcome groups like yours with open arms. I would like to go along, see more of what you do." William spoke with a slightly mischievous gleam in his eye.

Adam looked at his crew. Each one gave him a nod. "Okay, but where are we going to investigate?" The group leader asked with an arched brow.

William turned serious. "A place called, The Hellfire Caves."


	31. Back to the Demons!

"I've heard of that place! It's on our bucket list of places to investigate!" Heath spoke with an excited sparkle in his eyes and a huge grin on his face.

Adam's whole face seemed to crinkle in question. "We have a bucket list? Since when?" He looked at Heath like he had three heads.

Heath flushed a bit. He pulled out the small notebook he always carried. "Well, um... okay... it's _my_ bucket list. Every time I hear or read about a place with paranormal activity, that sounds interesting, I add it to the list." He flipped several pages in the notebook, then continued.

"Ah, here it is, number fourteen. That's why I'd forgotten it, till William mentioned it. I wrote that some time ago." Heath closed the little notebook firmly.

Roman laughed. "Just how many places are on that list?" He made a grab for the notebook, but Heath quickly put it in his pocket.

Heath suddenly found his napkin to be the most interesting thing in the world as his fingers toyed with the linen cloth. "Onehundredandfitysix" he muttered his words so fast only a jumble came out.

"One hundred and fifty six?! You forget, my precious, I have learned how to hear and translate your nervous mumblings." Jason laughed as he ruffled Heath's hair.

"You have high expectations of our time." Mark replied with a wry smile as he looked at Heath.

"Oh, I know we can't get to _all_ of them. I mean, I can't see the Queen of England, saying come to Buckingham Palace for tea, and oh, while you're here tell Henry the Eighth to bugger off! But, there _are_ places we can easily get to during a break or on a long weekend. Like the Crescent Hotel in Northern Arkansas." Heath now spoke almost defiantly. After all, getting clients _was_ his job as the College Hill Ghost Hunters Case Manager.

Adam shook his head at Heath. "Don't you worry about it, Heath. You keep that list. You never know. Now, we are going to one of the places on the list. William, what is it about this place?" He looked from Heath to their host.

It was William's turn to smile. "Not going to tell you, that would be too easy. I want to see how your group really works. I will say this, there is an element of evil, but as far as I know, no one has ever been jumped there." He winked at Adam.

"Fair enough. Since you're not actually a distressed client, we don't really need you to tell us. I assume you will set up the appointment?" Adam looked pointedly at William.

William nodded. "Yes, I will do that. I know the head of the Hell Fire Cave Preservation Society. Sometimes, being a Lord pays off." He gave a bit of a laugh.

"Thank you. Well, I guess we have our next investigation. Chris, you're up first. William, do you have access to a better data base than fake-a-pedia?" Adam again looked at William expectantly.

William replied. "I'll see what I can do. Perhaps I can get Oxford to allow access."

"Sorry, babe. The chess lesson will have to wait, I have history to research." Chris rubbed his hands together like a greedy child.

Evan gave Chris a pat on the shoulder. "That's alright, I don't mind. I like to see you smile and I know doing research makes you happy." Evan gave Chris a look that said he understood.

The group of ghost hunters retired to the patio. They had quickly adapted to William's habit of fine brandy and cigars after dinner. Even Shawn joined in. While he didn't drink any brandy, he did enjoy a few puffs of a cigar.

"I'll miss this when we go back. It just won't feel the same on a porch in Iowa. Brandy and cigars needs a strong atmosphere, like this. William, are you sure you still want all of us invading your home? There is a nice hotel in Amesbury." Roman asked with a puff of blue-gray smoke. It haloed around his head, then vanished like a spirit into the June night.

William guffawed. "No, I don't mind. The next one of you that asks me, I swear I'll hex you with a pox!" He laughed easily and the others joined in.

Later that night, as Wade lay in his new husband's arms, he laughed. "I've never seen Uncle so... happy. He must be very lonely. He truly loves having the house filled." He snuggled deeper into Mark's arms.

"Was he never married, or in a long term relationship?" Mark asked with a kiss to the top of Wade's head.

Wade sighed deeply. "He was, but it didn't turn out very happily. He was madly in love with a man from Wales, also a Wizard. His name was Mason. On the night Uncle was going to propose marriage to Mason... there was an accident. Mason was working on a casting. He made a very simple, but life changing mistake. He put in the wrong base, his iron pot exploded. A piece of it hit a spot on his head... poor Mason, now he is no better than a vegetable in a nursing home. There is no plug to pull, because he's fine otherwise. I don't ask, but I believe Uncle goes often to visit him, hoping each time, Mason will wake up. As long as Mason is alive, Uncle is faithful to him. It's sad really. That's part of why I think he likes having us here, it fills the void." Wade's voice was filled with sadness as told the story.

Mark pulled Wade in tighter. He didn't know what he would do if something like ever happened to Wade. The rape had been bad enough. If he could, he'd wrap Wade in a cocoon, but Mark also knew he couldn't do that. Wade was a free spirit. Mark vowed his promise anew, to keep Wade safe; as safe as he could.

The newlyweds fell asleep in each others arms, just like all the other couples in the house.

In his huge bed, alone, William looked at a picture of a handsome man. "I'll always love you Mase." He kissed the picture and fell asleep, the picture clutched in his arms.

Chris and Heath spent the next day doing research. They found plenty of information about the Hellfire Club and the cave they used. Heath nearly filled a whole notebook with information. He even drew a simple map of the cave. Chris was confident when he went to give his report.

That evening, once again on the patio with brandy and cigars, Chris started to give his report. Roman stopped him.

"I would like to do this investigation differently. Adam knows nothing about this place. I want it to stay that way. I've always wanted to record Adam in place where he has absolutely no idea about the location. Are you up for that, my Viking?" Roman asked his husband, point blank.

Adam rubbed his bearded chin thoughtfully. He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I like the idea. However, no matter what you say in an academic paper, not everyone will believe it. Chris, don't tell Evan anything either, he might as well get his chance to prove himself. Is everyone willing to give this a try?" He looked around at the other members of the CHGH.

Shawn spoke first. "I think it's a great idea. Look, no matter how much you prove Adam and Evan's gifts, not everyone will believe that's true. Imagine for those that do believe, how much deeper their faith in what we all do will be strengthened. That will help us be able to... well, help more people." He too looked at the group.

All nodded, especially Chris. "I'm all for it. Heath and I will put together a checklist, one for each of you. Heath and um... William, will each mark a sheet for each one of you as a double check. They won't say anything until after the investigation. William, do you mind?" Chris looked at their host with hope filled eyes.

"No, not at all. I'll be glad to help. Plus that sounds like a perfect way to do it." William spoke with a nod of approval.

The next two days passed with lazy relaxation. By the time the third day dawned, everyone was refreshed and ready.

At lunch, William had an announcement. "I've heard back from Baron Dashwood. He will give us the night of June 14th, that's this Sunday. We will have private access from four pm until eight o'clock Monday morning. Today is Thursday, we'll go to West Wycombe on Saturday. Well, that is if everyone agrees." William looked around the table at his guests.

Roman and Adam looked at each other and broke out in a fit of laughter. William shot them a look of bemused confusion, had he said something funny?

Jason chimed in. "It's their Anniversary, on Sunday. Every year, it never fails, an investigation gets in the way. Last year, it was when Evan came to us. But, we never saw that as getting the way, we have gained a wonderful new friend and teammate" He gave Evan a brilliant smile. Evan ducked his head with a flush.

"Oh dear, I had no idea. Well, I'll see if they can arrange for another day." William expounded quickly as he got up to use the phone.

Both Reigns' spoke. "No." Roman and Adam laughed. Roman continued. "Please don't. We are used to it. We take weekends on a whim, those are our special moments. We had only planned to _maybe_ go to Winchester Cathedral. To be honest, we'd both rather be doing what we do best, with the people we love best. Besides, how can we run off and celebrate our Anniversary, and know Mark and Wade didn't get a real honeymoon. Which reminds me..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small envelope. He handed the envelope to Wade.

Wade opened it, his eyes opened wide and he showed the contents of the envelope to Mark.

"Guys, no, this is too much, now. We can't take this." Wade protested as he tried to hand the envelope back to Roman.

Roman shook his head. "It's from all of us, William included. You both deserve it." He smiled at the couple.

Everyone had chipped in and purchased a one thousand dollar gift card for Hilton Hotels. It was good for any Hilton Hotel, anywhere in the world.

"You can take the deal any time, any where. It never expires." Heath explained. He had been the one to order the card.

Mark nodded. "Thank you. Maybe we can finally take that trip to New Orleans you wanted to take. Guys, you're too good, and William, thank you."

"Yes, fellas. Thank you, so very much. I love you all, especially you, Uncle." Wade spoke with a soft smile.

Friday was a very busy day. Seth locked himself away, he was working on a new device to use on Sunday. Dean helped by making sure every single piece of their investigation equipment was cleaned, charged and ready. He even broke down all the individual back packs of the group and did the same with all that equipment. Seth and the others were grateful.

Heath, Chris and William locked themselves away in William's downstairs study. They were working on the check lists for the investigation. It was tedious work.

Adam took Evan aside and together, they did mental exercises and worked on Evan's focus. He was getting better and better at shutting out everything but what he was focused on. Adam was proud of the young man and Evan appreciated that Adam was a patient teacher.

Roman helped Hunter and Shawn. First they made sure the medical kit was full and organized. It had gotten fairly disorganized during Adam's "incident." Hunter's emergency trauma kit was was also checked and loaded into the van. They took the vans into town to be serviced, washed, waxed and vacuumed.

Friday found everyone exhausted, even Hunter skipped brandy and cigars and went to bed early. William didn't mind, he was just as exhausted as the others. He was sound asleep when Damien quietly came into the room to pack his employer's overnight case.

Damien and Paige were looking forward to having the house empty. They finally be able to do some desperately needed deep cleaning. There was still some cleaning up to do in the third floor bedroom as well.

By ten Saturday morning, the two black vehicles were on the A303, heading north east toward West Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. West Wycombe was seventy sixty miles, or about an hour and forty minutes away from West Amesbury.

Wade followed behind Mark. He was driving the command post van, his only passenger was his Uncle William. They had a great time, just talking and catching up on things the others would have found boring, especially football. It was a wonderful time for rebonding the family relationship.

In the other van, a song fest was going on. Chris had borrowed a guitar from Paige and was now playing Name That Tune. Adam might have no talent for singing, but he was hard to beat at Name That Tune. He was up by ten songs, when they made a stop for lunch.

Shortly after their lunch break, they arrived at their hotel. William directed them to the George and Dragon Pub and Hotel. The former coaching house had been in continuous operation since the early seventeen hundreds. There were eleven rooms, and thankfully William had been able to book seven of them. There was another reason William had chosen the George and Dragon, and he was curious if it would come to light. They would stay until Tuesday morning as they would need Monday for rest.

All the rooms were the same. A king sized four poster bed, two chairs with a small table. There was a dresser for clothes, a desk, free WI-fi, a flat screen television and a private bathroom. All the furniture were authentic antiques as the hotel was part of the National Trust. The room oozed with the ancient atmosphere of the both the furniture and the building its very self.

William, Roman and Hunter checked everyone in. Adam looked around the lobby, he had a nagging feeling but, he couldn't place it. He'd also talked with his grandmother. He'd explained to hear about the experiment they were doing. She had agreed not to interfere unless Adam was in danger. So now, he couldn't ask for her help, if he did it wouldn't be fair.

Everyone was on the same side of the hotel. They could walk from William's room at one end of the hallway to the Reigns' room at the other end, as all the rooms had connecting doors. It was like one, long narrow house.

Jason and Dean just couldn't resist the temptation. They were going to race from William's room to the Reigns' and back. The game abruptly came to a halt, when Heath told Jason to grow up and help him unpack. Jay obeyed, a happy Heath was a putting out Heath.

Adam sat in the middle of the king sized bed, cross-legged, his elbows rested on his knees, his chin in his palms, and was lost in thought. What was the connection with this place to the Hellfire Caves?

Roman came out of the bathroom after putting their shaving kits on the vanity. What's got you thinking so hard? I can almost see the steam boiling out of your ears, your brain is churning so hard." He sat down on the edge of the bed.

Adam took his pinkie fingers out of his mouth, he'd chewed on them as he thought. "There is something about this place. There's a connection to the Caves, I can feel it. I just can't hone in on it yet. Oh well, I'm sure it will become clear when we get to the Caves. What's the plan Stan?" Adam leaned back, his arms supported him.

"Nothing, till tea time. Have you spoken to the Squirt? See if he feels anything?" Roman asked as he lay on his stomach across the foot of the bed. His long hair draped to the side as he held his head in the palm of his hand.

"I'd be worried if he did. He's supposed to keep his mind shut, so that means he can't feel... well you know what I mean. He is getting better, he's even removed a few of the locks. I'm proud of him. He's come so far so fast." Adam laid down and mirrored his husband, his own long hair also draped as he rested his head on his hand.

Roman pursed his lips. "I suppose you're right. Squirt, is a good kid. I'm sure he and Chris will have a wonderful marriage. Sorry about our plans for Sunday. I'm glad you didn't tell William the truth." He reached over and caressed Adam's sweet face.

"No point, he felt bad enough. He didn't need to know we planned a few day in London. Being with you is all I care about, no matter where. Well, my Islander, we soon begin our sixth year as the Reigns'. Guess we fooled those that said it wouldn't last. I love you, Roman. Thank you for not... abandoning me... you know...during the incident... the only thing that kept me from completely losing my soul, was knowing you held a piece of it in your heart. That... thing... knew that. It tried to tell me you would leave me, but I knew you wouldn't." Adam took his turn to caress Roman's face.

"And, I knew you wouldn't give up. I'm sorry about that fucking straight jacket. It broke me to make you wear it. I..." Roman was stoppled by Adam's lips as he leaned in to kiss Roman.

"You had to. Now, enough of that. I don't want a bunch of negative thoughts going in to the Caves. I want happy thoughts." Adam whispered in Roman's ear in a puff of hot breath.

Roman's eyes grew dark with lust. "Oh, I can give you something that will make you very, very, happy my dearest love." With a low, chest rumbling growl, Roman pulled Adam against him and kissed him passionately.

Roman and Adam filled their afternoon with two rounds of sex in the bed, and one more in the bathroom, just before they showered. Adam was simply glowing when they met the others for tea.

They chose to have tea in the garden at the back of the hotel. It was a beautiful place and the CHGH were the only ones who chose to have their tea in the garden.

When Adam and Roman sat down to join the others, Jason immediately recognized the look on Adam's face., he just couldn't ignore now, could he?

"Oh ho! I see someone spent the afternoon doing naughty things, didn't they Addy?" Jason teased in a singsong voice, then quickly ducked to avoid Heath's slap to the back of his head.

"Well Jason, I can't help it if my husband finds me sexy, and can't keep his hands off me. What, Heath didn't want your nasty..." Roman's hand clapped over Adam's mouth before Adam could finish.

Heath laughed the hardest when the entire group broke out in laughter. Jason gave Adam a brotherly hug. Soon they settled down and enjoyed their tea. The hotel put out an astounding array of sandwiches, cookies, cakes and other pastries. They stuffed themselves. They knew supper would be late and light.

As they finished, Evan leaned over and spoke to Adam in a low whisper. "Adam, there is something about this place. Chris was helping me with my empathic exercises. Just as I opened my thoughts, I got a flash of what I think was the Hellfire Caves. Do you feel anything?" He looked at Adam with curious eyes.

Adam nodded and briefly told Evan the feelings he had. "... so... yeah..." he paused and turned to William. "Okay I guess we have to make to make this official. Both Evan and I feel, here is a connection between the George and Dragon and the Hellfire Caves. We just don't know what it is yet. But, note that we feel it." Adam spoke firmly to the Grand Wizard.

William didn't let anything show on his face. "So noted. Heath, be sure you note it too." He nodded to the red head. He took his job as the official judge of the experiment seriously.

Heath returned the nod. "Will do." He too managed to keep his facial expression blank, but he gave Chris a sideways glance. Chris gave him a barely noticeable, but sly wink _ **...**_

Before anyone could think, they were pulling up to the striking entrance to the Hellfire Caves.

The facade was like a mock-up of a Gothic church and had been built of flint and chalk mortar in 1752. The entrance could be seen from West Wycombe House across a small valley.

When they got out of their vehicles, a handsome, middle aged man stood ready to greet them. William went to the man and greeted him warmly. He introduced the College Hill Ghost Hunters to the 13th Baron of West Wycombe, Sir Francis Dashwood XVI.

"Welcome to the Hellfire Caves. I understand you don't want any paranormal information, but may I give you a brief history of the Caves?" Dashwood asked the group.

Adam replied. "That would be nice, but please, keep it as generic as possible."

Seth was already filming. He along with Roman, wanted to record as much as possible. Mostly to prove no paranormal information was passed to either Adam or Evan.

Dashwood agreed and launched into the history of his ancestral home and his ancestors. "The Caves are a network of flint and chalk, man made caverns. They extend a quarter of a mile underground. They were excavated between seventeen forty eight and seventeen fifty two for Sir Francis Dashwood the Second Baron. He was the founder of the Hellfire Club, who held their meetings in the Caves. The Caves run directly above West Wycombe Village and directly beneath Saint Laurence's Church and Mausoleum, which Dashwood also built." He paused and led the group closer to the entrance. He then continued.

"The design was inspired by things Dashwood saw in the Ottoman Empire section of his Grand Tour. The Caves extend five hundred meters underground, with chambers connected by a series of long, narrow passageways and tunnels. The flint and chalk excavated were used to build a three mile road, between West Wycombe and High Wycombe, and for the grand facade. What else would you like to know?" The 13th Baron asked the group of ghost hunters.

"Just tell us a bit about the layout of the Caves, so I have a mental map in my head." Adam asked with respect.

Baron Dashwood led them to a plaque that was fastened to the wall, near the door of iron bars that led to the Caves. "Alright. A route through the chambers proceeds from the Entrance Hall , to the Steward's Chamber, and Whitehead's Cave through Lord Sandwich's Circle, Franklin's Cave to the Banqueting Hall." He paused and pointed to a large circular room on the map.

"The Banqueting Hall is the largest, man-made chalk cavern in the world. You'll then proceed to the Triangle, to the Miner's cave and finally across a subterranean river, Styx. Finally, you will come to the last chamber, the Inner Temple. It lies three hundred feet directly beneath the Church on top of Wycombe Hill. Down here is Hell, up there is Heaven." He gave a nod to the group.

"Interesting analogy." Shawn said quietly as they heard the chime of the bells of the Church on the hill.

The Baron laughed. "Considering the antics of the Hellfire Club, it's more truth than analogy... I'm afraid."

Roman looked at Baron Dashwood. "Can you tell us, without too much detail, about the club?"

"I'll try. Dashwood of course, began the club. Many prestigious politicians and socially important men made up the membership. Benjamin Franklin wasn't a member, but he was, as a close friend of Dashwood's a visitor to the Caves, several times. They met once a month. There was an annual general meeting, that lasted a week or more, ironically in June. There were rumors of black magic, satanic rituals and orgies in circulation during the existence of the club. The meetings did often include mock rituals, pornographic materials, drinking, wenching and of course banqueting. The club ended in seventeen sixty six. The Caves lay dormant until the nineteen forties. In the late forties and early fifties, the Caves were renovated and turned into a tourist attraction by the eleventh Baron. Since the opening in nineteen fifty one, over two million people have visited the Caves. I hope that wasn't too much. I left out the deepest... shall we say... darkest details." Dashwood finished with a nod to Roman.

"Thank you very much, Sir. Also, I would like to ask you, on camera, if I may share anything that we record with my Doctoral students in their lab, as well as the Parapsychology Department of the Northern Iowa University?" Roman asked he handed the Baron one of his business card from NIU to Baron Dashwood.

Sir Francis Dashwood turned to face the camera. "I, the thirteenth Baronet of West Wycombe House, do, hereby give Doctor Roman Reigns permission to use any or all data recorded on this fourteenth day of June, to further educate his students and Department at the Northern Iowa University." He shook Roman's hand on camera to seal his agreement.

"Thank you, Sir. I really do appreciate that. Well, I guess we'd better get started. We're looking forward to this very much." Roman shook the Baron's hand one last time.

"William, here is the key. I'll be back in the morning." Sir Francis handed the large iron key to William and headed down the path that led across the little valley to West Wycombe House, his ancestral home.

Adam clapped his hands together. " Okay. While we're unloading, Mark, Wade, Dean and Jason, please go take the baseline readings. When you get done, you can set up static cameras. When do you want to do protection. Neither Evan or I are taking one step beyond that door without it." Adam spoke firmly as he looked at Evan.

"After we get set up, before we investigate. I want to get a true feel of the place. I can't do that surrounded by protection." Mark stated flatly as he pulled on his black robe.

Mark, Wade, Dean and Jason headed through the entrance to the Caves. It wasn't that spooky, the tunnels were fully lit as they always were for daily maintenance. When they were ready to start the investigation, the lights would be turned off and low level flashlights would be used.

While the four men were in the Caves, the others unloaded the equipment totes and cable reels from the vehicles. William donned a pair of work gloves and did his fair share.

Seth pulled Adam and Evan aside. "I have something new for you to use. It's an Ovlius, or some people call it a Spirit Box. It scans the radio airwaves for frequencies beyond human hearing. I've made it so that if the box picks up words, it will "speak". Normally you have to have two devices, but, hopefully I've made two into one." He handed the device to Adam. It was just slightly larger than an old fashioned transistor radio. Seth had put it in a leather pouch with a belt clip.

"Great work Seth! I've been wanting to try one of these. What would we do without you?" Adam smiled happily as he clipped the device onto his belt. He already had on his small back pack with a flashlight and candle just in case of battery drains.

Adam called Chris and Roman over to where he stood with Evan. "I don't want Evan and myself to be together. Roman and I will go first. I want to go the Banqueting Hall. You and Chris, start here." Adam pointed to the area known as the Catacombs. It was close to where Adam would be, but not too close.

"Sounds good. Then we can switch. Eventually work our way down to the Inner Temple. I have a feeling this is going to be a very long, but interesting night." Roman gave a bit of a wry laugh.

It took over an hour for Wade, Mark, Dean and Jason to finish. Jason was loudly complaining as they emerged from the entrance.

"I hate those fucking things! They are worse than clowns! Nobody told me those were in there! Fucking hell!" Jason pouted like an angry child.

Adam and Heath exchanged glances. They were sitting on a couple of the tote boxes. "Oh no, there must be mannequins in the cave." Heath spoke with a bit of a muffled laugh as he held his hand over his mouth.

"Thousands of them... well hundreds... okay... maybe a dozen, but ugh! I swear if one of them moves, I am on the first plane back to Iowa!" Jason gave a shudder as he stomped his foot.

"Poor Jaybird. That time at the carnival fun house really scarred you for life..." Adam recounted as he and Heath stood up. Both men hugged Jason.

Adam continued as he looked at William, who was staring curiously at Jason. Adam explained. "When we were kids, we went to the fun house during the County Fair. It was full of scary wax figures. Just as we were going past a zombie looking scene, one of the mannequins happened to fall and landed at Jason's feet. Well... he's been terrified of them ever since. Sorry Jay, I didn't know they were there. Why don't you work the command center with Shawn and Hunter." Adam had no humour in his voice. He'd seen how scared Jason had been and knew it was a real phobia, like he himself had about clowns.

Jason shook his head. "No, I'll do my job. Dean and I will patrol around inside and out. Make sure no one shows up that shouldn't. Now that I know they are there, I can block them out of my mind. Thanks Adam, you're the only one that truly understands my fear." Jason gave Heath a bit of a sneer as he spoke. Heath always teased him a bit for his fear.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I really am. I do understand. I just try to tease you and make you laugh to forget. I think you're very brave for going back in there." Heath spoke softly and hugged his husband tightly. Jason clung to Heath as Adam gave them some space.

William joined Adam. "I didn't know or I would have told him. There are mannequins in the Catacombs and several in the Inner Temple. To show visitors how the Caves were used during the time of the Club. By the way, I'm very impressed once again with how professional you are. I'm looking forward to this."

Adam liked that William was excited. "I'm glad. Thank you for setting this up. Don't worry, Jason will be fine once we get started. You'll follow Roman and I and Heath will follow Chris and Evan. Then, at some point I'd like to switch, you and Heath can work it out."

William nodded. "Will do." He went over to talk to Heath who was now chatting with Evan and Chris. Jason had gone to help Dean carry equipment to the entrance of the Caves. Seth stood looking at the map.

"I want cameras in the Catacombs, Banqueting Hall, Miner's Cave and the Inner Temple. I also want a camera focused from the entrance to the circle. Then focus one down the tunnel to the Catacombs, two in the Triangle. That's eight cameras, wish I had more. Put motion detectors, here, here, here , here and here. I'll be using my laser grid scope and if we get a hot spot, we can set up the three sixty laser grid. I want this place saturated. Everyone films and everyone records audio." Seth laid out the plan. Everyone but Adam and Evan got to work.

Adam and Evan sat in the command van. "I feel bad not to be helping." Adam said with a sigh.

"Me too, but they understand. We can make up for it at break down. Adam, are you... scared?" Evan looked at his mentor with curious eyes.

Adam let out another sigh. "Evan, if you tell Roman or anyone else what I am about to say, I'll be really fucking cross with you..." He looked sternly at Evan. Evan made the motions of "cross my heart and zipped lips".

The psychic nodded. "I am beyond scared, I'm terrified. But, they were all right. I have to keep going. The encounter last week wasn't the same, I knew the lady was benign. This place is different, there has been satanic activity, things lurk and hide. Wade and Mark can't possibly detect everything, nor can they or Shawn protect us from everything. It's better than nothing, and it does keep us fairlysafe, but as you now know, it fails. Evan, there were times, when I could tell what my body was doing, but I had absolutely no control. I nearly fucking killed Shawn and I hurt Roman, the man I love more than life. I'm sorry if I did anything to you. Now remember, not a word." Adam spoke his last words hastily, Shawn and Hunter were headed their way.

"Seth wants us to check the cameras as they set them up. Say, why don't you get that cooler of sandwiches we brought ready. Dean's complaining about being hungry." Shawn laughed as he sat down in the seat Adam had occupied.

Adam and Evan were glad to have something to do. Evan set up one of the portable tables and Adam carried the huge cooler of sandwiches the hotel had packed. Evan went and got the cooler with water, energy drinks and sodas.

It was after eight by the time everything was set up and ready. Never had they set up so much equipment for one investigation. Seth knew it would take days to analyze everything, but he hoped it would be worth it.

They sat around on totes in the near darkness. Shawn finally lit a lantern so they could see to finish the meal of delicious roast beef and cheddar cheese sandwiches.

Wade stood, it was time to cast their protection. While Shawn led his prayer, William gathered the bits of wood he'd collected earlier for the sage fire.

When Shawn finished, Wade made his circle of salt around the group as William and Mark chanted softly. With a snap of his fingers, Wade lit the fire. It burned quickly as he added several bundles of sage followed by a handful of white, then black salt. He joined in the chant.

Adam always felt the protection as it swirled around them. It was like a light electrical tingle that went up his spine. However, this time it was like a bolt of lightening. It was so strong, Adam actually felt goose bumps rise up on his skin and the hairs on the back of his neck stood out. Either he was now more sensitive to the casting or Wade, Mark and William were pouring it on extra thick.

When the sage and salt fire had burned out, Adam felt like he was full of electricity. No one commented on feeling any different so he didn't say anything. Adam did know one thing, he was well protected and it was a very good feeling.

Dean and Jason went around to the outside electrical fuse box to cut the lights in the Caves. Adam quietly spoke to Wade as the Wizard fumbled in his pouch.

"Did you do anything... different? With the casting? It felt... like lightening going up my spine." Adam confessed, he just had to know.

Wade smiled. "No, I didn't. That was Uncle William you felt. Remember Adam, he is a _Grand_ Wizard, that means his castings are more powerful." Wade explained as he pulled out a small bundle of sage.

Wade handed the bundle to Adam. "Just... for luck. Evan gets one too. Adam, if you feel anything... and I mean anything call one of us, understand?" The smile had vanished and was replaced by a serious, stony expression.

"I will, I promise. Thank you, Wade. You be careful too. Well, lets get cracking shall we?" Adam gave the Wizard a one armed hug.

Hunter stepped up into the mobile command center and took his seat as he put on his headset. Shawn stepped onto the bumper of the vehicle. He waved to the others who were at the entrance to the Hellfire Caves.

"You all be careful. God Bless." Shawn called out to the ghost hunters. He made the sign of the cross to give them a final blessing. He then took his seat and put on his own headset.

Hunter looked at his beautiful husband. He could see that Shawn was extremely anxious. He took Shawn's hand in his and pulled him in for a soft kiss. "Our boys will be fine, Momma." Hunter gave Shawn another kiss.

Shawn touched his forehead to Hunter's. "I know. I just... it was so frightening and heartbreaking. He very nearly killed me. What if... how would Adam have lived with that... poor baby, he must have been so terrified and I could do nothing to help him." Shawn pressed harder against Hunter. He needed his husband's strength.

Hunter put his arm around Shawn's shoulder. "You can't think about it, babe. You didn't and he didn't, by God's grace. Now, buck up my beauty, we have our children to look after." He gave Shawn another kiss, then turned to focus on the computers.

Shawn nodded and knew Hunter was right. He turned to monitor his computers. This time Seth had put out so many cameras and recorders, it took four lap tops to watch and listen to everything. It was good that everyone had brought their computers on the trip.

At the entrance to the Caves, the ghost hunters paused. The Cave was in utter darkness. The only lights came from the infrared lights used for the cameras, it didn't penetrate the blackness.

Adam spoke to his group. "Roman and I will go first. Chris and Evan follow. Heath and William know what to do. Jason, Dean just keep an eye on things, but keep cameras and audio recorders running. The same for you two. Let's all meet in the Banqueting Hall in one hour. Keep your eyes and ears open. Good luck. Let's go hunting!" He took the first steps out of the semi lit entrance tunnel into the darkness, Roman and William on his heels.

Their journey into Hell had begun. Would they find anything or would _it_ find them?


	32. Journey into Hell

The group of ghost hunters proceeded into the depths of the Hellfire Caves. Adam, Roman and William led the way down the tunnel, towards the first room, the Catacombs.

Adam had the new spirit box on his belt so he could use his low level flashlight. He shined it back and forth to light the way. Roman had his FLIR camera focused on his husband. William followed with his own flashlight. The others paced themselves so they were about twenty yards apart. It was mainly so they wouldn't pile up on each other in the darkness.

Adam stopped. "Wow, look at those." His voice was full of exclamation as he shined his light on the walls. Carved into the chalk walls were strange faces, skulls and what looked like imps. They were everywhere. Every time Adam moved his light, another group of carvings was revealed.

When the others caught up, Seth and Jason began to take pictures of the strange carvings in the chalk. "I wonder who did all these?" Jason asked as snapped picture after picture.

Everyone jumped a bit when a voice suddenly echoed in the tunnel. _"Miners."_ It took Seth a moment, but he realized the spirit box on Adam's belt had just "spoken".

"Look at the Ovlius, Adam!" Seth pointed at the device on Adam's belt with wide eyed excitement. Adam looked at the screen on the spirit box. Sure enough, the word "Miners" appeared on the screen. It was a thrilling moment, especially for Seth.

Seth looked at Jason. "Go ahead." He urged the policeman. Apparently the spirits were prepared to answer him.

Jason had really never done much calling out to the spirits. He didn't know what else to say, so he asked, "why?" He gave a shrug as he looked at the group.

The spirit box crackled a bit. _"Leave... mark."_ The two words were several seconds apart, but were clear.

Adam took over the questions. You wanted people to know who you were?" Eleven pairs of ears waited to see if the box would once again respond.

A few moments later, the spirit box came to life again. _"Yes."_ was the one word response.

"Did others make these carvings as well?" Adam asked the next question.

" _Yes."_ the box spoke in the same robotic voice.

Adam continued. "Did the members of the Hellfire Club make some of these carvings?"

This time it took longer, but finally the Ovlius responded. _"Yes."_

Adam knew by the length of the time it took to respond, the spirit of whom ever spoke to them through the Ovlius was losing energy. He didn't want to push the spirits.

"Thank you for responding. We're going to move on now. You can follow us through the Caves if you wish." Adam spoke politely, as if he were speaking to a real person. In his mind, he was, a ghost or spirit was just a person without the corporeal body.

Adam turned to Seth. Even in the dim light, you could see Adam's eyes glittered with excitement. "This thing is fantastic, Seth. You are a genius, congratulations!" He praised Seth happily.

Seth ducked his head. "Well, I didn't invent it, I just put two things together, but thanks." Seth beamed, he was a bit proud of himself.

Everyone paced themselves behind Adam, Roman and William once again. Dean and Seth were the last to leave after Dean nodded for Jason to go forward a bit.

"I'm proud of you too, Seth. You're so fucking smart, sometimes I wonder why you're with a mug like me." Dean hung his head.

Seth smiled at his lover. "Dean, stop. I've told you this before. I may be book smart, but you're street smart. I could never run The Fringe like you do. That's why we make a great team. Come on, Jason's waiting and Dean, I love you." Seth gave Dean a fast peck on the lips and went up to where Jason stood.

Dean smiled. "Love you, too." He spoke quietly but he knew Seth heard him, and always did.

Adam, Roman and William finally arrived at the area known as the Catacombs. In the Catacombs, there were for small alcoves, one was labelled Steward's and another labelled Whitehead's. There was also one for Benjamin Franklin and one had no label. Inside each alcove was a wax figure of the area's namesake. Each figure was richly dressed and seated.

"Okay, Evan. This is your area. You can do it, stay focused. If you feel it getting out of control, lock your door. It's okay, better to lock up, rest and got again than push yourself. Call if you need me, and Evan... go slow, take your time. Good luck, Squirt." Adam gave Evan a wink as he left the young man, Chris and Heath to do their investigation.

The Banqueting Hall was just a few feet from the Catacombs, but the entrance was angled in such a way, Adam and Evan wouldn't "cross talk".

The door to the hall was low and narrow. Adam and Roman had to really duck their heads as they entered the huge room. It was amazing, even in the low light. Adam, Roman and William stood in the center of the room. They flashed their lights towards the entrance as Seth, Dean, Jason, Mark and Wade entered.

"Wow, this is amazing." Jason proclaimed as he flashed his light around the room. They hadn't taken the time earlier to really look around, so now they all took it in.

Dean read from a plaque on the wall. "You are now five hundred feet from the entrance and half way through the caves. The Banqueting Hall is forty feet in diameter and has a compass design. Each of the four niches contains a classical statue, purchased in Italy during Dashwood's Grand Tour. The Hall can accommodate one hundred and twenty people, standing for a buffet or seat fifty people for a formal dinner." Dean finished reading and shone his light around the room.

Mark chimed in. "We can look around more when it's our turn. Let's let Adam investigate." He spoke firmly. Mark never liked to waste time during investigations or at work, or anytime really. He could be a slave driver at times, but then again, sometimes it was necessary.

Mark and Wade led, Seth, Dean and Jason to the door across the Hall that led to the other half of the caves. Mark barely fit through the low, narrow, arched door and Wade had to duck and shimmy as well. They would have a hard time running if it was called for.

William flashed his light toward one of the four niches. He gave a laugh. "They didn't know much. Venus is in the north, she should be in the west. Bacchus is in the north and should be in the south. Pan and Dionysus are reversed as well." He spoke thoughtfully as Adam and Roman listened.

"That could be... dangerous. Looks like they knew some things, but …. was it enough to actually perform a ritual, or enough to get it horribly wrong?" Roman was just as thoughtful as he too looked at the four statues.

William nodded. "Exactly, Roman, exactly. Unknowledgeable casting or rituals can be extremely dangerous. Where they toying or serious? Oh... sorry son... I'll be quiet now." William looked at Adam. The younger man was standing, arms folded across his chest, looking rather annoyed.

"Yes, sorry Viking. Going silent now." Roman quickly focused his FLIR on Adam. William stood silently next to Roman.

William had pulled out the small notebook that contained the check list, he, Chris and Heath had created.

Adam took a deep cleansing breath. He slowly exhaled. He then placed his hand on the flint and chalk wall, close to the entrance. Adam closed his eyes, he was going "old school", no help from his grandmother. He could feel her though, he knew she was there to protect him if something went wrong. The feeling bolstered his confidence and eased his fears.

When Adam touched the wall, the rainbow aura began to form around him. It always started with his hand that he used for psychometry. It ran up his arm and eventually, completely surrounded him.

William found the aura fascinating. He couldn't wait to read Roman's findings. Roman had promised him a copy, whenever he finished the study.

Adam also did something he didn't usually do, he spoke vocally along with his psychic mental voice. "Is anyone here? I think you are. We mean you no harm. We have great respect for you. We'd like to hear your story." Adam spoke in a kind, gentle voice.

Roman, as always, kept the camera on Adam. Adam held an audio recorder in his hand. The rainbow was there, but fuzzy and dull. Adam went to a different area and once again placed his hand on the wall.

"Please, talk to me..." Adam pressed his hand harder against the chalk wall. William's eyes narrowed as he saw the aura sharpen, he also observed that the area around Adam's hand was white hot.

" _Sad"_ echoed around the room as the spirit box "spoke". Adam actually jumped, he'd already forgotten about the device on his belt. Roman noticed the aura now pulsated rapidly and the colors were fuzzy. He realized, it was because the sudden noise had startled Adam. It was most curious.

William leaned over and barely whispered in Roman's ear. "That box is good, but damn it's startling when it goes off like that. Interesting how the aura reacts.

Roman nodded and kept his FLIR focused. Adam's aura had begun to return to normal. Adam walked over and handed William the audio recorder, he then unhooked the Ovlius from his belt and held it in his hand. Adam went to the center of the room. He stood still and started to speak.

Adam had seen mental flashes of an incident that had taken place in this room. Now he wanted to confirm what he'd seen because the word 'sad' held a lot of meaning to his vision.

"Yes, it was sad. Can you tell me your name?" Adam asked gently. He looked at the spirit box expectantly.

" _Disappointed."_ The box spoke with a crackle. It had responded very quickly this time.

Again the word made sense to the visions Adam had seen. "I'm sure you were. Why did you come here?" He waited for the reply.

" _Letter."_ The reply was almost instant. The spirit apparently wanted to tell its story.

William decided to question Adam. "Adam, you seem to be on to something. Can you tell us?" He wasn't sure Adam would like the interruption, but the Wizard's curiosity was high.

Adam nodded. "When I touched the wall, I got some vision flashes. A young girl in a long white dress. She was excited as she entered this room. There were three young men. She was sad then angry. Something happened, but I feel it was an accident. She died. Now I want the details." He kept his eye on the box. He could see the device was rapidly scanning frequencies.

" _Tricked."_ The spirit box flashed the word it had been looking for.

William had to bite his lip. He, of course, knew the story of the Lady in White. He had to fight not to blurt it out.

"The three boys tricked you. They sent you a letter and you came here. Why?" Adam worked to put the vision and words into the whole story.

" _Wedding... tricked."_ The box tried to make a sentence, but the scanner couldn't really do that.

Adam nodded. "The three boys sent you a letter, telling you to come here. They made you think the man you loved was waiting here, and wanted to marry you. Is that right? You came here, in your wedding dress?" He was excited, it was all coming to light.

The box responded so quickly, Adam nearly dropped it. _"Heartbroken... angry... throw... stones."_ It took a couple of minutes, but the box responded.

William balanced the notebook on his knee as he sat, cross-legged on the cavern's tile floor. He frantically marked and wrote on the checklist while holding the recording device. He still fought to watch himself, and not tell what he knew.

"So, you were upset to find out the boys had tricked you. You got mad at them. You picked up a stone and threw it at them..." Adam paused. He felt like a detective as he put the story together.

" _Yes... yes."_ The spirit box again responded extremely quickly. The energy in the room was electric.

Adam paced a bit as he thought. Roman noticed that as he walked, a patch of rainbow aura remained on the ground for a few seconds. He was actually leaving psychic footprints. Could that type of energy be absorbed into the stones, like a recording. It was one of the many theories Roman hoped to one day solve.

Adam paused, he squat down and laid his hand on the floor. He closed his eyes and reached out with his psychic mind. Roman observed the usual, as Adam searched, the aura pulsated and stretched. The area around his hand on the floor was now hot. The device and the hand that held it, had grown to a cooler pink color. Roman was pleased, at least he'd have a lot for his lab students to study.

While Adam worked on the story of the Lady in While, Evan was excitedly unravelling an entirely different story, involving the well known poet, Paul Whitehead. Whitehead was a member of the Hellfire Club. He was a very close friend of Dashwood, Sir Francis had named Whitehead as the Secretary of the Hellfire Club.

Evan had picked up on Whitehead's spirit. He knew the spirit was frantically searching for something. The problem was, Evan couldn't quite nail down what that something was. The young empath was getting rather frustrated.

Chris observed through his FLIR camera, the more frustrated Evan became, the more the colors of his aura changed. The aura was almost completely red, with shades of deep purple.

"Gah! I can't..." Evan moved and touched another place on the wall of Whitehead's alcove.

Heath and Chris exchanged concerned glances. Chris clicked off his camera. Heath stepped back a bit to give the couple a bit of privacy.

"Evvy, come on. Remember what Adam said, don't push. You've done really well, and I've captured some great footage." He pushed button on his watch, a soft bluish light lit the time. "It's nearly time to meet the others. Please, Evan?" Chris went to his fiancé and lifted Evan's chin with his fingertips. He looked Evan in the eye with love and very deep concern.

Evan sighed when he saw the look on Chris' face. "Alright. You're right, I am pushing. Thank you, for caring so much about me." He leaned in to give Chris a soft kiss.

In the Banqueting Hall, Adam had a sudden revelation. "I understand it now! She worked at the George and Dragon! That's why I felt the Caves were connected to the Inn! She... wait... Su... Suki... her name was Suki and she was a barmaid a the George and Dragon!" He was so excited, his aura made showers of rainbow sparks as he stood.

"Yes... Su... ki... y... e... s..." The voice on the spirit box that had been so strong and forceful, now seemed tired and faded. The spirit was losing it's energy.

Adam stood with a bit of a groan, he knees gave a creak, he'd been squatting too long. "She's gone, but I think she will be back. What a sad story, I'll be very curious to see if Evan learns more or at least the same. The others should be here soon. Oh my poor knees." Adam rubbed his knees as he spoke.

William still sat on the floor. He made a few more notes, then sprung to his feet like a well oiled machine. "Yoga, twice a day." He said simply as Adam stared and kept rubbing his knees.

Adam gave a wry chuckle. He didn't get to speak, the others had all returned from their various locations. There was a general chatter as they reunited.

In the command post, Hunter gave a slight laugh. "I've told Adam, he needs to stretch more before he works out. Some of that was exciting. Seth's invention is... cool... do people still say cool?" Hunter laughed with a shrug as he stared at his computer.

Shawn laughed. "Yes, dear, people still say cool. Evan was getting frustrated, maybe..." Shawn paused and picked up his two-way radio.

"Base to Adam." Shawn spoke into the small communication device. Adam responded and asked Shawn what he wanted.

"Why don't you let Evan use the spirit box. It would make the results more effective, I think." Shawn gave his suggestion to Adam.

"Could I? And let me go back to to the Catacombs. I was so close to some answers." Evan looked at their leader with expectant eyes.

William spoke up. "I think that would be wise, but Evan, maybe you should go to the Inner Temple." He wanted to help the young man without helping... too much.

Chris nodded. "I was going to suggest that. Unless you really want to stick to the plan?"

Adam rubbed his chin. "No, that's fine with me. I don't think there is much more I can get about the Lady in White. You go to the Inner Temple, and I'll go to the Catacombs. The rest of you, just investigate like usual." He looked from Evan to the others.

Everyone was fine with the idea. Mark, Wade and Dean wanted to go back to the Miner's Cave. Seth wanted to explore in the triangle and experiment with his hand held laser grid.

The ghost hunters split up. Adam, Roman and William went up to the Catacombs while the others went down to the deeper ends of the Caves.

Just before Evan, Chris and Heath went down to the Inner Temple, Jason spoke. "There are a bunch of mannequins in there and a stuffed baboon!" He felt he should warn them about the wax figures in the Cavern.

"Baboon?" Evan muttered under his breath, as Heath lead the way.

Heath stopped at the arched entrance into the Inner Temple. He shone his flashlight round the room. There were several wax figured, all attired in elaborate head dresses. Jewels adorned their fingers and the goblets from which they drank. Their wax faces showed they were pleasantly but probably highly intoxicated. It was an obvious scene of drunken debauchery as there were female figures present as well.

A ratty looking stuffed baboon sat on a box. His face was fixed in an almost lecherous grin. He wore a bejewelled collar with a chain leash. One of the wax mannequins held the leash in his hand.

"No wonder Jason freaked out. That baboon is a bit... disturbing." Heath shuddered as he moved out of the way. He had his checklist notebook in hand.

Chris picked up his FLIR and focused on Evan. "Okay, Ev, I'm set. Slowly open your door." Chris spoke gently to his fiancé. He wanted to keep Evan calm.

Evan tentatively reached out and touched a broken urn that sat in a small niche in the wall. He had the spirit box fastened to his belt. Before he could finish opening his mental door the box "spoke."

" _Searching."_ The spirit box was crystal clear as it began to scan once again.

Evan quickly opened his empathic door. He threw his focus directly on the urn, blocking out all other thoughts.

He spoke out loud. "I know you are searching. What are you looking for?" Evan knew it had to do with urn he touched. To Evan, it felt like the stone urn was vibrating.

Chris observed Evan's more bluish rainbow aura was slowly stretching out to engulf the urn. Chris now truly understood why Roman got so excited watching Adam through the infrared FLIR camera. The way the aura changed as Evan worked. It was like watching an electric light show on the Las Vegas Strip at times.

" _Stolen... stolen... stolen."_ The spirit box spoke the word over in fairly rapid succession. If it was possible for a robotic computerized voice to sound frantic, this one did.

Evan squeezed his eyes shut so tightly, the skin around them turned white. The aura around him was so bright on Chris' camera screen it lit the room where Chris stood. He had to squint against the brightness in order to keep focus.

Evan suddenly smiled. "His heart, he's looking for his heart. It was in this urn and someone stole it. It's Paul Whitehead, looking for his heart! Who would do such a terrible thing." Evan was pleased with himself, as well as relieved. He'd finally figured out what the spirit was searching for.

" _Soldier."_ The box almost shouted. It was the fastest and clearest response yet.

Evan put his other hand on the broken urn and closed his eyes tightly again. He suddenly saw a craftsman chipping away at a large block of marble. A flash and the marble was almost a completed urn. Evan knew it was the urn he now touched. He next saw Sir Francis Dashwood hand the craftsman a bag, presumably his payment. Evan took a deep breath and focused harder.

Chris watched as Evan's aura enveloped the urn. It was crisp and clear. The rainbow pulsated as Evan stretched his focus. Watching Evan work was almost as exciting as finding a new history book. For Chris, that was huge.

Evan then saw a rather gruesome flash. The body of Paul Whitehead lay on a tale, obviously dead. There was a gaping hole in his chest. A man Evan didn't recognize placed Whitehead's heart in the urn. Flash to a ceremony in the Mausoleum that was over the spot where they now stood.

After a few more flashes, Evan saw Dashwood and other members of the Hellfire Club standing in the very cavern, toasting the urn as it sat where it was now.

Chris saw the aura begin to defuse and weaken in its intensity. He knew Evan was getting mentally exhausted. It was amazing how fast Chris learned what the changes in the aura meant. He knew now how important his job was as well, he could see what Evan couldn't.

"Evvy, stop for a bit." Chris spoke softly as he lowered the camera and walked over to his boy.

Evan smiled at Chris when he opened his eyes. "Okay, Chrissy, thank you. Heath, this is what I saw..." Evan went on to tell about his visions as Heath made notes.

Adam had his hands on the shoulders of the wax mannequin of Paul Whitehead. His rainbow aura surrounded the figure. Adam's eyes were closed, as he spoke out loud.

"Paul Whitehead, are you here?" Adam asked mentally as well. He didn't get visual images like Evan, he had to wait for a spirit to speak, or send a "feeling" for Adam to pick up on.

Adam got a feeling of something being burned. He decided to pick up on the clue. "Did you burn something?... or were you in... no, no... you burned something... can you tell me?" It took him a moment to decipher the mental messages he picked up on.

William smiled to himself. Both Adam and Evan were proving their gifts extremely well. He couldn't wait to see their faces when he, Heath and Chris could reveal everything. William now also understood why his nephew enjoyed working with the College Hill Ghost Hunters so much.

Evan was back at work. He had changed from the urn to the baboon. Normally he wouldn't touch such a ratty, tattered object for fear of causing damage, but he had to. Evan very gently laid the palm of his hand on the shoulder of the once muscular and playful animal. He was surprised at how soft the fur was as it looked hard and coarse.

Chris' brow arched as the aura around Evan and the baboon began to undulate like waves hitting the beach. It was a new reaction, which he discovered when Evan broke out in a fit of laughter.

Evan turned to Heath and Chris. "John Wilkes dressed the baboon to look like a devil and hid it in this box before a meeting one evening. Later he slyly opened the box with a string and the baboon jumped out of the box and frightened Lord Sandwich. Apparently, Sandwich thought they had actually summoned a demon. I guess that part really isn't funny... If he thought they had summoned a demon, they must have been actually trying to do it..." Evan's voice trailed off as the reality of the Hellfire Clubs activities became apparent.

As Adam and Evan did their investigations, Seth was busy with Jason and Dean in the area known as the Triangle. Two short tunnels branched to the right and left of the tunnel that led from the Banqueting Hall. Each tunnel made a right angle, and ended at the exit that led to the Miner's Cave, forming a perfect Triangle.

Jason followed Mark and Wade to the Miner's Cave. He leaned against the wall next to the entrance. At least there were no wax figures.

Jason turned when he heard footsteps, Seth or Dean were coming down one "leg" of the Triangle. He moved his flashlight to light the way for whoever was approaching. He froze in place, eyes wide open.

The ghostly, misty figure of an elderly man appeared from around the corner. Instead of making the turn in the tunnel toward Jason, the figure kept walking forward and vanished right into the wall.

Jason just stood there, mouth open, eyes as wide as full moons. He was still in that position when Seth came around the corner, behind Jason.

Jason nearly jumped out his shoes when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Only his years as a policeman kept him from screaming in fear. Jason spun on his heels, ready to come face to face with the ghost.

Instead of a ghost, his wide eyes focused on Seth Rollins! "Fucking, fuck! Seth! Fucking hell don't _ever_ do that again! If I'd of had my gun, you'd be dead!" Jason was more startled than angry, but still his eyes shot sparks at Seth.

Seth raised his equipment filled hands and took a few steps backwards. "I'm sorry, Jay. I thought you heard me coming."

Jason vigorously shook his head. "No, I didn't. You won't believe what I just saw..." Finally with his fright gone, Jason excitedly explained what he say.

Seth, while glad Jason had the experience, was disappointed. "Shawn said they were seeing heavy orb activity in the tunnels. I chose the wrong fucking direction. Damnation! I can only hope the cameras picked it up. Well, at least you got to see it." Seth's shoulders slumped as he kicked at a loose bit of chalk stone on the cavern floor.

Jason felt bad, especially for yelling at Seth. "As clear as it was, I'm sure the camera picked it up. Don't worry Seth, you'll catch your full apparition one day, I just know it. Look, your spirit box has worked, that's fantastic." He tried to make Seth feel better as they went back to where Dean waited by the doorway to the Banqueting Hall. Seth made Jason tell Dean about what he'd seen.

"Cool beans. Don't sweat it Seth. You already on target to day with..." Dean paused, they heard what sounded like a stone being thrown.

As the stone clattered on the floor, Seth whispered. "Which direction..." he too paused as they heard another stone.

Seth unhooked his two way radio. "Seth for Mark." He called to the Demonologist.

"Mark here... say did you hear stones being thrown?" His voice was a crackled whisper.

Seth responded. "Yeah, we did. Can you two help? Go up your left side, and we'll go down ours. When you get to the Banqueting Hall entrance, report back." He made his request for assistance.

"Will do, give us five minutes to finish. Don't want to leave anything open." Mark tone was serious as he replied.

"Will do. Seth out." Seth marked the time on his watch. As he hooked his radio to his belt, they heard the sound of another rock. It hit the wall and tumbled down to the ground.

"It's the way the Triangle is laid out, I can't tell the direction of the sounds." Jason scratched his head as he strained to listen.

"Base to Seth." Shawn's voice was slightly muffled as the radio was against Seth's body.

Seth grabbed the radio and replied. Shawn's voice was clear as the radio spoke. "We hear stones and Hunter thinks he saw it, in the tunnel to your right. Where Jason saw the ghost. I will say, we got something when that happened, but it was more like a mist. That's all, base out." Shawn ended his report and Seth replaced the radio onto his belt.

"Maybe the old man is throwing the stones. Oh, lets go, it's been six minutes!" Seth remarked as he started down the tunnel.

Seth stopped and turned on his hand held laser grid. He shined the red light down the tunnel. A "net" of red lit dots glowed in the darkness. The point was, if anything crossed through the grid, you would be able to see it.

There were bigger laser grids that sat on the floor and flooded the entire room with a grid. Seth liked to use one of them in combination with a motion detector. For investigating smaller spaces, like the tunnel they were now in, he used the portable laser grid.

Jason held the audio recorder and Dean snapped pictures with his digital, full spectrum camera. He liked it because he could easily switch it. Dean would shoot one frame in full spectrum, then take the same shot in regular format. It was useful for comparison. Sometimes he caught something on full spectrum, but not on regular, or it could work the other way, but that was rare.

Seth moved ahead a few feet. Just as he shut off the grid to move, they heard the sound of another stone hitting the wall, the skittering down to the floor.

"Why the fuck does something always happen when I don't have anything focused on it." Seth cursed under his breath. He was really getting frustrated.

Dean gave Jason a look. Dean was a bit worried about Seth. It wasn't like him to get this frustrated. Usually, Seth had the patience of a Saint. Maybe the close space and lack of fresh air was causing it.

Jason gave Dean a shrug. They stopped walking. Seth was once again using he flashlight sized laser grid.

In the command van, Hunter spoke, though his eyes never left his computer. "I think they need to come out, get some fresh air. They need to rehydrate as well. Seth, Evan and Jason have all been snappy."

Shawn nodded in agreement. "I think you're right. You'd better call them, use that really bossy doctor's voice you have." Shawn's lips formed a sly smirk as Hunter gasped.

"I am not bossy! I just want my patients to pay attention. I only tell them for their own good!" Hunter responded in a defiant tone.

Shawn chuckled. Hunter picked up the radio. "Base to group." He waited until each of the teams responded. When they had, he continued.

"Finish up, then everyone out. I want all of you to get some fresh air and rehydrate. Thirty minutes break. Doctor's orders." Hunter _did_ use his bossy doctor's voice, which made Shawn chuckle even more.

The ghost hunters all responded and Adam backed up Hunter's decision and told the group to meet in the Banqueting Hall in fifteen minutes.

Mark and Wade got to the Banqueting Hall first, then came Seth, Dean and Jason. They were discussing the rocks being thrown when Adam, Roman and William entered the large room.

Jason looked at Adam. "I saw a full ghost! He went right into the wall! " There was no sign of his earlier fright as he spoke with excitement.

"Wow, Jay, that's great! I hope the camera caught it. This whole place has been fantastic." Adam spoke happily, but he looked pale and a bit tired.

"Shawn said that Hunter might have caught something. It's going to take a long time to analyze all this and we still have a few hours to go." Seth replied as he looked at the battery levels on the different equipment..

Wade handed Seth his audio recorder. "We've tried a few castings, but didn't get anything, unless there are some EVP's. We closed everything, so it's safe again. Uncle, may I ask? In your research, is stone throwing common?" He looked at his Uncle expectantly.

William looked at Wade. "Yes, it is, very common, along with footsteps. That's all I will say. I only told you that because I can't see that would influence any psychic communications." He flashed a glance at Adam.

"You're right. I can't pick up any poltergeist activity. Why do you think I depend on Wade and Mark so much." Adam laughed and gave William a friendly pat on the shoulder.

Wade laughed too. "We just wanted to be sure it wasn't something we accidentally opened. Mark was worried." He explained as he lowered his hood. Wade's face and hair were sweaty from the lack of fresh air.

Adam looked at his pocket watch. "Hum, where are Evan, Chris and..." He was interrupted when the three remaining ghost hunters came into the Banqueting Hall.

"Sorry, It was my fault. I started getting really good information about Paul Whitehead. Heath couldn't write fast enough. I'll tell you though, I'm glad Hunter called, I am more than ready for a bit of fresh air. I'm wiped." Evan spoke with excitement, but like Adam he was pale and tired looking.

"It's okay, Squirt. I'm proud you're doing so well. I can't wait till we can compare notes. Alright, lets... _EVAN LOOK OUT_!" Adam cried out.

Adam saw a very large stone, flying through the air. It was headed right for Evan. If Evan didn't move, it would hit him directly between the eyes!


	33. Emerging from Hell

Chris automatically reached to push his fiancé out of the way, but before he could move, William acted.

The Grand Wizard stuck out his left hand and pointed his index finger at the hurtling stone. A flame shot from his finger like a bolt of lightening. The stone shattered like glass as the fire bolt hit it.

Chris managed to push Evan as the shattered pieces of the stone fell at the younger man's feet. Everyone in the room stood like the wax mannequins in the Caves.

It was a full minute before the first words were spoken and those came from a very frantic Shawn, who watched on video from the command van.

"Base to anyone! Base to anyone! Is everyone alright? What the fuck happened?!" Shawn's voice crackled over the two-way radio. Hunter gave Shawn a wide eyed glance, Shawn never used the "F" word.

Roman responded. "Roman to base. Yeah, I think so. We're coming out, I'll tell you about it then. Roman out." He put his radio back into his pocket.

Chris grabbed Evan by the shoulders, his eyes scanned wildly from Evan's feet to the top of his head. When he saw that Evan was alright, he grabbed his fiancé and held him like it was the end of the world.

"William, that was _a-fucking-amazing_. How in the fucking hell did you fucking do that?" Dean asked in wide eyed wonder. Seth knew Dean was flabbergasted by the way he spoke.

William was gently rubbing his "fire finger" with his right hand. "Had to, couldn't let that stone clobber him. It could have... damaged him." William pulled his his hood up further, his face was now completely hidden from view.

Wade went to his Uncle, he alone, aside from Mark, understood William's words. Wade hugged his Uncle. "Are you alright?" He whispered softly as he held William. William nodded.

Evan finally spoke. "I'm okay. Chris... let me breathe..." Evan loved that Chris cared about him so much, but he pushed against Chris a bit so he could breath. Chris was holding him like a bear.

Chris let go, just a little, and Evan spoke again. "William, thank you, oh thank you. I owe you one, man. All I could see was that boulder flying at me!" He'd managed to squirm out of Chris' grasp and had walked over to where William and Wade stood.

William's face was still hidden deep in the hood of his robe, and he still rubbed his finger. "You're welcome, Evan. I need some air, lets go." His voice cracked with emotion. William also trembled a bit.

Everyone thought it was probably the result of such a drain of energy that caused William's state of being. Roman and Adam led the group through the Caves and out into the fresh night air of the West Wycombe Valley.

Hunter waited anxiously for William to emerge. Mark came out alone, and went to Hunter. "Where is William?" Hunter asked the Demonologist with anxious eyes.

"They will be out in a few minutes; it's a Wizard thing." Mark replied seriously and escorted Hunter away from the entrance.

William and Wade stopped just outside the exit of the Caves. Once alone, they lowered their hoods. Their lungs flooded with the fresh air.

Wade placed his hand on William's shoulder. "Now, tell me the truth, are you going to be alright?" His dark eyes were filled with deep concern.

William knew he could show his inner feelings to Wade. A lone tear ran down his cheek. "Yes. I thought of... him. I couldn't stop it from... I _couldn't_ let it happen to little Evan; let it happen to Christopher." He sniffed deeply and wiped his face with his long robe sleeve.

"I understand, but I know what that spell cost you. You must be completely drained. Why you're not passed out is beyond me. Come on, I think there's a pot of tea on the fire. You ready?" Wade smiled at his Uncle and gently adjusted his robe.

"Thank you, son. I do love you. Having you here, has been wonderful. Yes, a cup of tea would be just the thing. It's okay, I don't mind that you told Mark about Mase. Come on." William gave Wade a smile and a hug.

Wade shook his head, he should have remembered, there was an empathic connection between Wizards. His Uncle had picked up on his conversation with Mark about Mason. He just hoped his Uncle was truly alright. The casting of a protection fire _was_ extremely draining, plus the added thoughts of Mason's accident... Wade hoped there was a gallon of tea on the fire.

The Baron _had_ sent over a gallon sized camp style tea pot and everyone was enjoying the hot drink. Hunter had built up the fire and the group sat on the empty equipment boxes.

Evan was retelling the story of the stone. "... then bang! It just... exploded. How did you _do_ that?" He looked over and William with an anxious face.

William sipped his tea, his left hand hidden in the sleeve of his robe. "It's a casting, it has the absolutely childish name of fire bolt. But, the spell is ancient. I'm glad it worked, I haven't actually cast as spell like that for many, many years. And before you ask, I don't know how I make fire with my hand. It's the Wizard gift our family received. Some can control water, others the wind, it's the way of Wizardry." He spoke quietly without any emotion and took another sip of tea.

"I know, I've done a lot of tests on Wade, for paranormal research. It is truly a gift, one that I'm glad you have. If that stone had... It wouldn't have been pretty." Hunter spoke frankly but he was worried about William. He thought the man looked like he was on death's door step, and he just had to see William's hand.

Chris spoke up. "My turn. William, thank you. I've waited my whole life for someone like Evan... I... thank you." His baby blue eyes filled with tears as he wrapped an arm around Evan's waist and held him close.

Wade saw his Uncle's shoulders droop. Chris had meant well, but he knew Chris' words had cut at his Uncle's heart. Mark saw the stress on his husband's face. He reached over and gently rubbed Wade's back. Wade gave Mark a small smile.

Adam made a decision. "I think Evan and I have done enough. I don't think we're going to learn much more. The poltergeist activity needs to be investigated. Seth, so you guys want to do more investigating?" He looked at the computer specialist, brow raised.

Seth perked up. "Yeah, I would. Heath you willing to help? The four of us can do a lot of investigating, plus with fewer in the Caves, it will be better." Seth looked at Heath, then Jason and Dean with eager eyes.

"I'd be happy to. Adam and Evan look exhausted and I'm sure William is too." Heath agreed in a serious tone with a firm nod of his head.

William spoke softly. "Look out for more poltergeist activity." His warning was simple, but earnest.

"We will. Hunter, want to join us?" Seth asked the physician with a sip of tea.

"No, but Shawn and I could use a break from the computers, Roman?" Hunter took a puff from a cigar he'd lit with a twig he'd lit in the fire.

Adam, you and Evan relax. Come on, Chris. You and I can man base for a while." Roman suggested as he stood and stretched.

"Glad to. Evan, you and Adam just kick back and rest. Ev, I'm proud of you." Chris gave Evan a soft kiss. With a tousle to his boy's hair, Chris stood and joined Roman in the command base vehicle.

"I'll help, three pairs of eyes and ears will be better." Mark too, stood. He gave Wade a smile and joined Roman and Chris.

Shawn refilled Adam and Evan's tea cups and engaged them in conversation. He knew Hunter wanted to look at William's hand without a bunch of curious eyes watching.

It took a moment, but Hunter caught Wade's eye. He slightly nodded to William, then got up and walked to the back of the second van, where his medical bag was stored.

Wade leaned over and spoke to his Uncle in a low whisper. "Come with me, please."

William nodded his hooded head. To be honest, he was grateful for Wade's strong arm for support as he stood. Together they went to where Hunter waited.

William sat on the floor of the back of the van, his feet just touched the flint and chalk on the ground. "I suppose you want to look at my fire hand?" He looked at the team Doctor.

"If you don't mind. I won't force you, William." Hunter spoke with a kind voice and soft smile.

William obliged Hunter. He honestly didn't mind, his hand truly ached. The Grand Wizard trusted Doctor Helmsley and he did not usually trust "normal" medicine.

Hunter gently took William's left hand in his. "Wade flashlight, please." He nodded to the large flashlight he'd placed on the bumper.

When Wade put the light on Hunter's hand, he held in the gasp that gathered in his vocal cords.

The index finger of William's left hand was badly blistered and looked extremely painful. Hunter leaned in to get a much closer look.

"I would be screaming in agony." Hunter remarked as he began to rummage thought his trauma box with the aid of his own small flashlight.

"I will admit, it does sting a bit." William's voice was filled with pain, his eyes still hidden deep in his hooded robe.

Hunter ripped open a foil packet and unfolded a wet towel. He very gently wrapped it around William's finger.

"Oh, that's good. Cold wrap?" William asked with an almost relieved sigh. The cold felt very good, but the pressure of the towel hurt a bit.

"Yes. I know the wrapping is uncomfortable, but the cold will help. Do... will it heal its self?" Hunter wasn't sure how this kind of wound healed.

"It will, in a day or so. We do tend to heal from casting wounds... for the most part. Thanks, Hunter, I appreciate the help." William spoke and tried to keep the heartache out of his voice.

Hunter looked at Wade with a puzzled expression. Wade shook his head ever so slightly. Hunter dropped the subject, but knew there was something deeper going on with William.

Adam and Evan sat on a blanket, their backs against one of the large equipment totes, their legs were out straight, with their feet against the rocks of the fire ring. They sipped on cups of hot tea.

Adam also smoked, he wanted any spirits lurking around to leave him alone, he was too tired. "I forgot how tiring it is without grandmother's help. It always drains me, but..." he yawned..."...this is a wipe out. I wish we could talk about our investigations. Evan, are you really alright?" Adam asked with an exhale of smoke.

Evan laid his head on his mentor's shoulder. "I'm alright, thanks to William. That was... I wonder, think Wade could do that? I wish we could do too, but we promised not to talk about our investigations till analysis." He turned a bit, folded his arms over his chest and curled up against Adam.

Adam smiled and put his arm around the young man. He didn't answer Evan, the boy was already sound asleep.

Chris emerged from the Hellfire Cave. Seth had sent him for the teddy bear. Now that the Historian could tell some of the well known ghost stories, he had. He told Seth that one of the rumors were the spirits of children who could have been sacrificed in Satanic rituals, hunted the Caves. No evidence of such atrocities had ever been found. However, it was possible that children died in the Caves in work related accidents. Children were used to crawl into small places or push and pull the carts loaded with flint and chalk.

Chris was about to call out to Evan until Adam signalled for him to be quiet. Chris knelt down and sweetly caressed the sleeping Evan's cheek.

"Poor little baby. He's so tired, but Adam, you'd have been proud of him. He worked so hard. Want me to take him to the car? Chris asked in a whisper, Adam looked as tired as his fiancé.

Adam smiled and hugged Evan closer. "No, let him sleep, he's fine, right here. I _am_ proud of him. Don't keep Seth waiting, Evan is safe." He winked at Chris.

Chris kissed Evan's cheek and the top of Adam's head and went to fetch the teddy bear. As soon as Chris left, Wade and William returned to the fire. William's finger was wrapped in a fresh cooling towel and Hunter had given him four more to get him through the next few hours.

Uncle and nephew were quiet as they sat down on some tote boxes. "How are you?" Adam whispered as he adjusted Evan a bit. The poor boy never stirred.

William had finally pulled his hood back. "This helps. He alright?" William whispered in response with a nod to Evan. He cradled his left hand in his right.

Adam nodded. "Yes. Thank you, William. We both owe you... oh my God... Evan... wake up! " Adam roughly moved Evan as he quickly stood.

Seth, Dean and Chris emerged from the entrance to the Caves. They supported a stumbling Jason, while a very frantic Heath held a blood soaked cloth to Jason's right cheek.

"Hunter!" Adam called out to the Physician. Evan woke up quickly and went to see if he could help.

Hunter came running, medical bag in hand. He'd been talking to Shawn when Roman jumped out of the van to tell him Jason had been hit by a flying rock.

They managed to get Jason sat down on a tote box. He had a glazed look in his eye. Heath was beside himself, there was so much blood.

Hunter got to Jason and sat on another tote box. "Boys, give me some space, and get me some light. I'll need water and the trauma bag." He gently nudged Heath aside so he could look at the wound on Jason's cheek.

Shawn went to get the bag, Adam the water. Chris, Dean and Seth shone their flashlights as best they could. Wade got an idea and hurried off.

Wade started the second vehicle and quickly turned it around. Hunter, Jason and others were bathed in the headlights.

Now that Hunter could really see, he grimaced. "This is going to need stitches. You want to go to the hospital?" Hunter had begun to clean the horrible gash on Jason's cheek.

Heath answered for his husband. "You do it. I want it done right."

Hunter looked in Jason's eyes. He checked for signs of possible concussion. "Jason, are you with us?" He asked as Shawn held a thick gauze pad to Jason's cheek as gently, but firmly as possible to stem the bleeding.

Jason blinked several times. "Yeah... yeah... I think so... what the... ow!" He finally felt the pain as his shock wore off.

"We were in the tunnel, where Jason saw the ghost the first time. He was calling out for the spirit, to see if it was still there. Dean and Seth were up at the other end. We heard the motion detector in the Banqueting Hall. I turned to Seth and Dean, next thing I know, Jason was bent over, holding his cheek, blood pouring out between his fingers." Heath explained excitedly. His eyes were as big as full moons. It wasn't a happy excitement, it was a terrified excitement.

Adam had arrived with a bottle of water. "I just spoke to Roman. I'm calling this investigation. Break it down." He gave his orders firmly.

"Good. Now, everyone but Heath and Shawn, go away. Wade, thanks for the light." Hunter spoke just as firmly.

Adam led his group away, but not before giving Jason his love and kiss to the top of his head.

"Jason, you sure? We can go to a hospital." Hunter asked with a stern voice, his lips were pressed into a grim, tight line.

Jason winced when Shawn poured some water on the still bleeding cut. "No, Heath is said it best. I want it done right, by the best."

Hunter nodded. The Physician pulled out a field suture kit. It was the same kind the Army Medics used on the battle front.

While Hunter worked, all the others went back into the Caves to shut down and pack up all the investigation equipment. William couldn't help carry anything heavy, but he wanted to do what he could to help.

Seth went to the power box and suddenly the interior of the Hellfire Caves was flooded with lights. It completely changed the atmosphere of the Caves. All the anxiousness of the darkness was gone.

It took about half the time to break everything down than it did to set it up. As always, the most time consuming was the rolling and rolling of all the cables. Seth was glad Sheamus had the cable rolling reels.

By the time all the equipment was out of the Cave and ready to be packed into the totes, Hunter was almost done with Jason.

"Ten stitches, Jason. I tried to make them as small as possible. You're lucky it was a clean, sharp cut. It must have been a flint stone. When the Novocaine wears off, it's going to hurt, you want anything?" Hunter smeared a line of highly antibiotic ointment over the line of tiny, neat stitches.

Shawn then ripped opened a bandage. With his gloved hands, he carefully placed the protective bandage over the ten stitches.

Jason had never felt pain like he'd just endured before. Even though Hunter had numbed the area around the wound, he still felt it as the extremely sharp needle slid in and out of his skin with a slight tug.

Hunter gave a light chuckle. Jason had held Heath's hand while getting the stitches. When he let go of his husband's hand, Heath's knees nearly buckled in sheer relief.

"Maybe Heath needs to go to the hospital, get that hand X-rayed." Hunter peeled off the tight surgical gloves he'd worn.

"No, it's fine. Jay, are you okay? We need to get you back to the hotel. Oh my God, oh my God..." Heath's fright finally erupted as he began to tremble. All Heath could see was a bloody Jason bent over holding his cut face.

Jason got to his feet with a grunt. He was stiff and hurting, but his Gingersnap needed him. Jason wrapped his arms around his spouse.

"I'm alright now. You always get so hysterical after the fact. Come on, look at me, baby." Jason spoke calmly, but his voice was laced with pain.

Heath clung to his husband. "I know, but..." He slowly began to pull himself together. He went with Jason to wait in the vehicle with William.

The College Hill Ghost Hunters quickly and expertly packed up their equipment totes. Seth carefully saved the data both on the hard drives of the computers and to discs. Never had Seth lost any data from any investigation.

Hunter and Shawn quickly packed up the medical bag and tote. Shawn was careful to make sure every needle and scrap was picked up. This had been a very bloody investigation. Only once before had Hunter used a suture kit, and that was from a fall. Chris had once tripped in the dark and sliced open his knee.

William smiled. Jason had laid his head on Heath's shoulder. "Sorry I wasn't there to stop it, Jason. Are you alright?" He still cradled his hand, wrapped in a cooling bandage.

Jason smiled at William, then winced, smiling hurt. If that stone had hit Evan, it would have been far worse. I am okay, it just took my by surprise. I'm wondering if it it was that old man. He did look rather... salty." He put his head back on Heath's shoulder.

"Could be. Reports of stone throwing are often reported with his appearance. Maybe he's mad about something, that kind of emotion can give him enough energy to cause poltergeist activity. Maybe we'll find out. I will say this has been a very interesting evening." William adjusted his hand in his lap.

Heath saw the older man's face distort in pain. "Oh William, I'm sorry. Can I help?" He asked in a worried voice. He'd not known how badly William's finger had been burned.

William shook his head. "No, son. I'll be fine, it just stings, this helps. One thing about us, this will heal quickly. Jason, when we get back home, I have an ointment that will prevent scarring. Used it many times, Rey makes it." He leaned back and closed his eyes. He was exhausted.

The last thing Roman did was to make sure the fire was completely out. The sun was on the eastern horizon.

Mark slipped into the drivers seat and the others piled in. Wade drove the command base vehicle with Seth and Dean.

Mark called out to William. "What about Baron Dashwood? The key?"

"Just drive over to the house. I'll return the key." William responded with a yawn.

When they pulled up to the grand West Wycombe House, Dashwood had just stepped into the saddle of a beautiful bay stallion, as a servant held the reigns.

William got out and spoke to the Baron for a few minutes. He returned and when he was in his seat, the van pulled out. Mark headed for the George and Dragon.

"He said he's not interested in a follow up visit, he's been to enough of them. He said enjoy the data and return any time." William related his conversation to the others.

The group slept most of the day. At tea time, they decided to return to Regal Manor, everyone was ready to be back in the more comfortable beds.

After everyone had rested and relaxed for a day. Seth was ready to look at all the data. He set up a system of three hour shifts. There was too much to analyze in one sitting. Eventually, all the data would be double checked by every member of the group.

Shawn, Hunter, Adam, Roman, Mark and Wade were taking a shift analyzing data. Seth and Dean were taking a nap and Chris and Evan had just returned from a long horseback ride.

William was on the patio with Jason and Heath. His burned finger had completely healed. Chris and Evan joined their host, ready for a cup of tea.

Jason gave a winced yawn. His face ached and the bruise was dark under the bandage. "Well, I'm ready for a nap. My eyes burn from staring at the computer. Join me, darling?" He looked at Heath with a pout and puppy dog eyes.

Heath rolled his eyes. "Yes, but, we're going to _sleep_ , Sargent Reso." He stuck his tongue out at Jason.

"Excuse us please, William. Chris, Evan." Jason said with a nod. Heath squealed as Jason picked him up and threw him over his shoulder.

Chris laughed as he watched the Reso's leave. Evan however, looked at William, he saw a deep seeded and profound sadness in the man eyes.

William poured another cup of tea. While he was occupied, Evan leaned over to whisper in Chris ear.

Chris gave Evan a puzzled look, but nodded. "I'm going to go take a shower. Be back in a while." Chris announced as he left his fiancé and William.

Evan moved to sit closer to William, and poured himself a cup of tea. "William, I just wanted a chance to thank you again, for blasting that stone. I could have really been hurt, maybe even killed. I wish I could repay you in some way. Is there anything I could do?" He looked at William in earnest.

William sniffed. "I'm glad I was there to stop it, unlike..." his words trailed off before he broke down. Ever since he blasted the stone, he could only think of how he'd failed Mason.

"William, may I be frank? It doesn't take a empath to know, why are you so sad? I've noticed since the Caves. I'm a good listener and I don't gossip, not even to Chris. I owe you, William." Evan leaned closer to the older man. His dark eyes were filled with deep concern.

William let a single tear fall. "You're an empath, use it." He spoke softly as he granted Evan permission to "read" what he couldn't speak of.

"Thank you." Evan whispered. He felt honored that William would trust him so much. He closed his eyes and placed his hands on William's arm.

William felt Evan's mind probe at his. He relaxed and let Evan see his love for Mason. Of course some things he locked away, but he left enough open for Evan to understand.

It took nearly and hour, but Evan finally opened his eyes. He couldn't help the tears that dripped from his eyes.

"Oh William. I'm so, so sorry. Now I understand why... the stone... you saved me, but... I don't think you could have helped him. I know you think so, but... I'm sorry..." Evan simply didn't know what to say. What could he say?

Before William could speak, Wade came out onto the patio. "Uncle, are you alright? I had to... oh... does Evan know?" Wade sat down next to his Uncle and looked at the two men.

William sighed. "Yes, he knows. Oh Wade, ever since I blasted that stone... my poor, sweet Mase... why Wade, why?" He didn't break down but he wanted to.

Both Wade and Evan laid a gentle hand on the older man's shoulder. Evan spoke. "Don't worry, Wade. I'm not a gossip. I just wish I had Shawn's talent for being able to say something wise and helpful." He gave a sigh and absentmindedly patter William's shoulder.

"There is nothing you can say. I had managed to... to be alright... if you can be alright, losing the love of your life. Then the feelings got yanked when I watched Roman, suffering over Adam. Then, helping you at the Caves, seeing how Chris was able to comfort you. Finally with Jason and Heath... they love each other so much. Of course, Wade, I am so thrilled for your marriage, and honored to have been the one to perform your Rite, but..." his voice turned arid and he took a sip of tea.

Wade sighed. "I should have realized... but Uncle, I can't say I'm sorry about having you bind us in marriage. I'm sorry you've been put through so much. Is there _anything_ they can do for Mason?"

William wiped his eyes with his handkerchief. "Medically no... this isn't Harry Potter... we don't have St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries... that's fiction and a joke. However, they give him physical therapy three times per day, to keep his muscles toned and for movement. His brain functions continue normally, he breathes on his own. It's like he's asleep and never wakes up. They have a ten syllable word for it; but we would call it a coma, I suppose. It's no life for him, he must be so miserable... if he could... oh to just... tell him to… let... go..." William's shoulders gave a quake, his lip quivered and his eyes filled with tears.

Wade and Evan looked at each other. Neither man knew what to say or do. Wade sighed and mouthed silently to Evan. "Stay with him, please.?" Evan nodded with a soft smile.

"Uncle, I need to get back. There is so much data. Chris filled in for me, but it's not fair, he and Evan already took a shift. Call me if you need me." Wade stood, and kissed his Uncle's cheek.

"Go, go. I'll be fine. Wade, I love you. Wade... never take Mark for granted, things can happen in the snap of a finger." William's eyes burned with the wisdom of one who lived the words he spoke. Wade gave a soft smile and a nod, and left to help the others.

Evan looked at William, his heart didn't just ache for the older man, it ripped at the seams. His soul was ready to tear as well. There had to be something he could do.

William saw the look on Evan's face, he felt bad. Evan, the sweet soul, was in torment because of him. He should have never let Evan into his mind.

"I'm sorry, Evan. I shouldn't have let you read my thoughts. Yes, I'm sad, but, I've got to go on. I've managed so far, and I will again. Please son, go be with Chris. I'll be fine, I just need to clear my head." William stood, he needed to take a walk. Go to Stonehenge, gather himself. He could always find peace at the Henge.

"I still wish I could do something to show my thanks for saving me..." Evan paused, it came to him, the thought nearly knocked him off his feet. He spun on his heels to face William.

"There _is_ something. William, I could use my empathy to talk to Mason. I know I could. Bray told me an empath helped bring a woman out of a coma. I can't say that would happen but..." Evan was suddenly excited, why had it taken him this long to think of it.

For the first time in days, a genuine smile broke out on William's face. "Thank you, Evan. We can at least try. Can you come to London with me, tomorrow?" William was just as excited as Evan. Maybe it would work. Maybe he could, once again, through Evan, speak to his beloved Mason.

"Of course. Finally I can do something to thank you." Evan smiled, he couldn't wait.


	34. Empathy at Work

_**A/N:** I feel that I need to explain something. The term Empath or Empathy in the paranormal world, means to communicate through emotions. These can either be human emotions or the "emotions" of an inanimate object. They can "read" these emotions. Psychics can actually communicate with spirits with either the human or telepathic voice, some can do both; like Adam in this story. For the purpose of my story, people with "gifts" can communicate telepathically as the Wizards do. This is why Evan and Adam can communicate non-verbally. I hope this makes things clearer. This story is reaching it's end soon, only six more chapters after this. Thank you, and now, enjoy the chapter. Have a great day, Lady Dragonsblood. _

William Regal had a new bounce in his step as he joined the College Hill Ghost Hunters for dinner. Everyone took a break from the analysis of the data from the Hellfire Caves to have a group meal.

Only Evan knew the reason behind their hosts change from sad to happy. He only wished he could tell Chris and Adam. Evan wanted some advice from his mentor.

Wade saw the change in his Uncle, but , even through his Wizard's skills, he couldn't figure it out. Well, if William was happy, he of all people wasn't going to question it.

All eyes lit up as a huge joint of juicy, delicious roast beef was brought to the table by Damien. There was also Yorkshire Pudding, buttered corn, baked potatoes and a gallon of wonderful smelling gravy. Lastly there was a garden salad, fresh from Paige's well tended kitchen garden.

William stood, carving knife and honing steel in hand. He ran the knife down the long rod a few times. When the edge of the knife gleamed with sharpness, he began to carve the roast.

In short order, everyone was enjoying the delicious meal. The group stuck to their usual custom, they talked about anything but the data from the investigation.

William spoke. "I'm going to London tomorrow. You should all take a break and come along. See the city, for a day at least.

Evan knew this was William's way to get him to London without a bunch of questions. He piped up. "I'd love to go. Chris?" Evan looked at his fiancé with the puppy eyes Chris couldn't resist.

Chris smiled. "If that's what you want. I'll even promise not to drag you to any museums." The Doctor of History gave a laugh.

Shawn and Hunter exchanged glances. Hunter smiled and answered for himself and Shawn. "We'll go. It's where we spent our honeymoon." Shawn's eyes sparkled at the thought.

Seth was extremely excited. "I'm in! They have a paranormal store there that I was hoping to get to. Evan, I may use the card... um... a lot." His mouth watered at the thought of all that glorious equipment, just waiting to be purchased. Dean simply shook his head. He wanted to go to Harrods and Marks and Spencer to check their selections of exotic liquors.

Jason looked a little wary. "This isn't some elaborate plot to trick me into going to Madame Tussaud's is it? Adam Joseph? Gingersnap?" His brow was arched, he didn't care that it made his cheek sting.

Adam laughed. "No, but now that you mention it... the London Dungeon sounds like fun." He gave Jason a sly smile.

"I'd love to see that... no... wait... they have wax figures too! Maybe I'll just stay here." Jason gave a pout.

"I want to go Jason. No wax figures, I promise." Heath pouted just as hard.

"Oh, alright." Jason teased his husband. He then gave Heath a kiss with his gravy stained lips.

Roman smiled. "We'll go. I've always wanted to see London. It's on my bucket list.

"Heath, we can go shopping! At Harrods!" Adam replied with a huge grin on his face.

"We'll go as well." Wade answered simply. He surmised that Mason figured into this somehow. He'd be there to support his Uncle if the need arose. Mark nodded in agreement. What ever Wade wanted was fine with him.

William grinned. "Damien, have the limo ready at ten." He gave the butler a nod.

"Will do, Sir." Damien responded with a return nod. Inside he sighed, he hated driving the huge limo in London traffic, but he would do with his stoic expertise.

After dinner, the had their cigars and brandy in the library, a light rain prevented the ghost hunters and their host from an evening on the patio. Seth called off doing any more analysis of the Hellfire Caves data. He said a couple of days away would be good for clearing their heads, it was a lot of information.

A couple of hours later, Chris and Evan were in their room. Chris was reading a vast, rather old tome about Stonehenge, while Evan read a novel about the building of a great cathedral. They were curled up on a small sofa in front of the fireplace. Both Evan and Chris looked up when they heard a knock on their bedroom door.

Chris automatically put a protective hand on Evan's thigh. "Come in." Chris called out.

The door opened. William stepped into the room then closed the door. "So sorry to disturb, but may we talk?" The older man asked respectfully.

Chris and Evan closed their books and removed the reading glasses they both wore. "Of course, William. Please, sit down." Evan waved his arm to the chair across from them.

William sat down and looked at Evan. "I've been thinking. I'm not being fair to you, Evan. It's not right, to ask you to deceive Chris..." Will was interrupted by a gasp from Chris.

Chris' blue eyes darkened in question as he looked from William to Evan. Guilt was written all over Evan's face. "What the fuck is going on?" Chris' tone was cutting and sharp.

"Christopher, don't you _dare_ jump to nasty conclusions! I thought you loved _and_ trusted me!" Evan crossed his arms over his chest. His lips were curved in a deep frown that began to tremble as tears gathered in his eyes.

"Stop. I take full blame. Chris it's nothing like what you are thinking. It's about Evan and his empathic gift, and my... lover, Mason..." William went on to explain about Mason and finished with the reason for the trip to London.

When he finished, but William and Evan looked at Chris, a tear tracked down each of his cheeks. He reached over and grabbed Evan and hugged him close.

"I'm so damn sorry, Evvy. Forgive me, please. I am so proud of you, helping William. I'm so sorry. I love you so fucking much." Chris held Evan like it was the end of the world, and he prayed it wasn't.

"Chris, it's my fault. I should have never asked Evan to keep a secret from you. I can understand why you thought what you did. Evan, don't let this spoil what you have with Chris. He reacted that way out of love. Evan?" William looked hard at the young man in Chris' arms.

Evan pulled back and looked Chris in the eye. "You get on fuck up per month. This takes care of the next six, understand me Mister?" He poked Chris, hard in the chest as he spoke. His eyes were a blaze of dark fire, which dried up the tears.

"I understand. I am sorry, baby boy. I love you. Thank you." Chris spoke with a smile and pulled Evan in for a kiss.

Evan put his palm against Chris' chest to block he kiss. "Not so fast. You're going to take me to Harrods and buy me any thing I want! Any thing! I might even want a real elephant!" Evan was deadly serious, no humor flashed any where.

"Any thing you want, even a fucking elephant, but um... Adam might not let you keep it in the house..." Chris turned soft, but serious. "I screwed up, an I am truly sorry. Still love me?" His baby blues looked with hope at his fiancé.

Evan moved his hand and gave Chris a kiss. "I still love you, very much, Chrissy. I forgive you." He whispered over Chris' lips.

The squeak of William getting up from the chair, made Chris and Evan snap back to reality. "I'm sorry, William. Thank you, for letting me include Chris. I have another favor to ask, I may need help. May Adam come with us?" Evan asked tentatively. He'd thought about it and realized he might need the help of not only his mentor, but Adam's grandmother as well.

William nodded. " OF course. I want you to have what ever you need. Maybe too, Roman could keep the others diverted. Wade knows, and Mark, but they will not come with us to the home. Well, I'll leave you two alone. Again, Chris, I am sorry. I hope... we can only try. Good night." He left quickly before either Chris or Evan could respond.

Evan sighed and curled up against Chris, his head on he older man's shoulder. "So sad. I think... if I somehow manage to break through... he... wants Mason to... go... it breaks my very soul."

Chris wrapped his arms around the younger man. "I hope you can help. Why Adam though? You can do it, baby, you've improved so much." He ran his fingers through Evan's short, black hair tenderly.

"The empathic communications I _can_ do. Thing is, if he's wandering between dimensions, Adam's grandmother might be able to help. Between the two of us, we _might_ get through." Evan explained with a nuzzle against Chris. He inhaled deeply, nothing comforted him like Chris' unique scent.

"Makes sense. I'm sure Adam will help, but we'd better go talk to him before it gets much later." Chris looked puzzled when another knock echoed on their door.

"Come in, guys." Evan called out as he sat back up. However, he remained close to Chris.

Adam and Roman walked into the room. Greetings between the couples were exchanged. Roman sat in the chair, Adam on the floor between Roman's legs. Evan did he same as he slid on the floor while Chris sat back down on the sofa.

"You've learned fast, young grasshopper. I heard you, loud and clear. Now, what did you want?" Adam asked, brow raised. Evan had opened up his mind and sent a telepathic message to Adam. It was a handy gift to have, especially with his stronger control.

Evan briefly explained about the real reason for the trip to London. The then went on to explain, how, if needed, Adam's grandmother might help.

"So that's it. I knew William was upset, but I had no idea. The poor man... and he's been through so much shit lately. No wonder he absolutely destroyed that stone. You know me, Squirt, of course I'll help, if you need it. As will grandmother. She delights in a love story, happy or tragic. Roman, do you mind? We can see the town after. I would love to stay in London a couple of days, and William could use the break, I'm sure." Adam was thoughtful in his response.

"Great idea. Give us all a chance to do our own thing. I know Shawn and Hunter would really love it. We'll talk about it at breakfast. And no, Adam, I don't mind at all, we owe William. What ever we can do to help. He must be so shattered." Roman too was thoughtful as his fingers gently ran through Adam's long hair.

The next morning during breakfast, Roman presented his idea. "... so, three nights in London, everyone do their own thing, meet at the train station at Paddington on Sunday afternoon, six o'clock." Roman put down the train schedule William had given him earlier.

"Great idea! We could use some time apart. The newlyweds can have a bit of a honeymoon. You two can celebrate your Anniversary, and Shawn and I can stay were we stayed on our honeymoon. Only this time, I can _afford_ the Honeymoon Suite." Hunter spoke with a happy gleam in his eye. He gave Shawn's thigh a squeeze under the table.

Adam looked at the members of his team. "Everyone fine with the idea? I'm also sure William wouldn't mind some peace and quiet."

Seth responded. "Cool beans! Oh and Sheamus needs the command van back. So before we leave, help me unload our equipment. It won't take long. William, Sheamus and Drew will come on Saturday to pick up the vehicles. I'd like to see him, so Dean and I might return on Saturday morning, any objections?"

"None at all, boys. If for some off chance I'm not here, Damien and Paige will be. Make yourselves at home. None of you are guests here, you are family. We've been through too much together not to be." William replied with a soft, warm smile.

The men quickly finished their breakfast, then hurried to unload the vehicles. They also had to pack for their London excursion.

At ten thirty, the long black limo pulled onto the motorway that would take them the eighty five miles to London. With traffic, it would take about two hours.

During the trip, each couple did some quick research to decide where they wanted to stay. Every one picked a different hotel or Inn. They all decided to at least take rooms in the West End, it was the best part of the great city, central to where they all wanted to go.

Excitement grew as Damien expertly guided the long vehicle into London traffic. It was exciting to see the Palace of Westminster and the tall, infamous tower that held the mighty bell, known as Big Ben.

Damien pulled into the tube station at King's Cross. The others would be able to navigate their way to the places they wanted to go first.

They had all been able to book their rooms on the ride to London via their cell phones. Only Seth and Dean had to try two places, but they finally got a room over a West End pub.

Dean wanted to see what it would be like. He'd toyed with the idea of turning some of the unused second floor rooms of The Lunatic Fringe into guest rooms. He knew he could easily rent them, especially during football season and the annual parents weekend. This would give him a chance to see how it worked; and it was much cheaper than a hotel.

"Hey, aren't you coming with us?" Jason asked with curiosity when he saw that Adam, Roman, Evan and Chris remained in the limo.

"No, I asked it we could be dropped off with William." Roman replied simply.

"Yes, I have some business at Westminster..." William responded to Jason, then turned back back to Wade.

Wade's hands rested on the car as he leaned in through the window. "... I thought it was about Mason. I hope Evan can help, Uncle William. Are you sure you don't want me to go with you, or Mark and I will come back to the house tonight..."

Wade was cut off when William shook his head. "No, son. You and Mark go and have a bit of a honeymoon. You deserve it. I'll be fine, I promise. Yes, I hope he can too, at least it's something. Go, have fun, that will give me more pleasure than anything else you could do." He gave his nephew a smile and a pat on the head.

"Alright, but please, promise to call if you do need me? Please?" Wade looked at William with deep concern He was also torn, he wanted to be there for his Uncle, but he also looked forward to some alone time with his new husband.

William smiled again. "I will. As I said, I will be happiest knowing you are enjoying yourself. We must go. See you on Sunday evening. I'll pick you up. Now go, have fun and Wade, I love you."

"I love you too, Uncle William. We will have a good time. Can't wait to show Mark some of my favorite places. Good luck." Wade gave his Uncle a smile and stepped away from the car.

"I wonder what's really going on?" Jason muttered under his breath as the limo pulled away. His thoughts were interrupted when Heath pulled on his hand.

"Come on, Daddy. Madame Tus... er... Harrods is waiting." Heath teased his husband.

"Mention that place one more time and the credit card is off limits to you for the rest of the trip." Jason's tone was serious, his mouth a firm line. However, the sparkle in his eye revealed his was teasing.

With a laugh, the four couples bid each other a fond farewell and went their own ways.

Hunter and Shawn were going to their hotel first. They couldn't wait to see it again. This time they had a room with a view of the Thames.

Seth and Dean were headed to a well known paranormal supply shop with the name of P.I.G.S. The initials stood for Paranormal Intelligence Gathering Service. However, usually only those "in-the-know" knew what the store was all about.

Jason and Heath were Harrods bound. While Wade was taking Mark to the Temple Church. It was a place simply dripping with Druid and Templar Knights history. Mark was just glad to finally have his husband to himself. He planned on spoiling Wade rotten.

In the limo, William sighed. "Jason didn't believe us. Maybe I was wrong to keep this or rather, ask you to keep secrets." He flashed Chris and Evan a look.

Evan spoke. "No, William, not everyone needs to know. That's why we needed these few days apart. Everyone is getting up in everyone's grill, that's not good. Right, boss?" He looked at Adam and Roman and hoped they agreed with him.

"Jay will be alright. It's just his police mind. He was a detective for a while, but he'd rather be a patrol officer. Evan is right, we spend a lot of time together, but not day after day like this. Often if we don't have a case, I won't see Wade or Mark for days and they live in the apartment under ours." Adam was thoughtful in his response. He'd called his grandmother, just in case, so he had one "ear" open to her.

Half an hour later, the limo pulled up to a large house in a beautiful park-like setting. They had arrived at St. John's Nursing Home in Surrey.

St. John's sat in a quiet, peaceful environment. The forty room nursing home had a reputation for its specialization in physiotherapy and extreme long care. It was was the best place William had found for Mason's special needs.

William paid for what National Heath didn't. Mason's mother was still alive, but could not afford the special care her son needed. In her mind, he was already gone.

"I'll wait out here with Damien." Roman whispered softly to Adam. He hated nursing homes, his beloved grandmother had died in one.

"Alright, babe, I understand. Love you." Adam gave his husband a soft kiss and followed the others.

Just before they entered the beautiful building, Adam stopped Evan. "Keep your mind locked tight until we get to Mason. A hospital or nursing home can send you over the edge. All those minds, crying out for help. So, tight, okay?" Adam spoke in a serious tone and a stony face.

Evan said nothing, but he closed his eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath. As he exhaled, he slowly opened his eyes. "I'm ready."

"Want me to come?" Chris asked his fiancé. He wasn't wild about nursing homes either, but he'd do whatever Evan wanted him to do.

"No, I'll be alright. Keep Roman and Damien company. Love you." Evan kissed Chris' cheek and followed after William and Adam.

A pretty, young receptionist smiled. "Hello, Lord Regal. Good to see you again. Oh, friends of Mister Ryan's?" She asked with an arched brow.

"No, friends of mine, from America. I wanted them to meet Mason. Any changes?" He asked as he pulled an envelope out of his pocket. It was the monthly payment for Mason's care. He handed it to the receptionist.

"Thank you, Sir. No, I'm afraid not. We did move his bed to be next to the window as you requested. He seems more relaxed." She placed the envelope into a file folder marked "Ryan, Mason".

"Good. We don't want to be disturbed." William stated firmly with a nod. The girl nodded in return and as the three men walked away. She picked up her phone to relay Lord Regal's instructions.

They walked up a beautiful staircase to the second floor. It was more like a house than a medical facility. There were no nose tingling smells in the air, nor any workers in stark uniforms. The workers and nurses all wore dressy, but casual clothing.

William led Evan and Adam down to the last room on the left. William took a very deep breath and exhaled, he had to center himself every time he came to visit. William then opened the door.

The floor was covered with a huge Persian style rug in blues, reds, golds and cream. The tall wardrobe was of dark walnut, as was the small table under one of the windows. The bed was also a normal looking, double, made of the same dark walnut. The room was on the corner which meant there were plenty of windows, the view from them was of the park-like grounds.

As they approached the bed, Adam and Evan saw a very handsome young man. He looked like he was taking a peaceful afternoon nap, in the room of a country manor house.

Mason had a neatly trimmed beard, but no moustache. His hair was raven black, and his skin was slightly pale. The only thing that told this was a medical facility was the IV pole that held an IV bag. The IV provided Mason's body with the nutrition it needed.

William walked up to the bed. He gently caressed Mason's brow, then bent down and kissed the young man's pale lips.

"Hello love, Will is here. I love you, Mase. It's a beautiful summer day, we would have gone out riding. You're so handsome, my love." William spoke in a soft voice that neither Adam nor Evan had heard before. The voice and William's eyes were filled with broken soul sadness.

Adam and Evan had stepped back, to give William as much privacy as possible. It tore both their hearts to see the sad sight.

Adam looked away before he burst into tears. When he looked, he saw a beautiful marble en suite bathroom. This was certainly not like any nursing home he'd ever seen before.

William waved Evan and Adam over, he'd sat in a chair next to the bed and held Mason's hand. The two paranormal wonders went to Mason's bedside.

"Mason, this is Adam Reigns and Evan Bourne. Adam is a psychic medium and Evan is an empath. Love, Evan is going to try to speak to your mind. Please, Mase, if you can hear him, talk to him. It would mean you and I could speak again, through Evan. Please try, Mason, please." William tried not to sound as desperate as he felt but, he didn't manage very well.

Adam picked up that Evan was a bit shy, and wasn't sure what to do next. Adam took the lead as Evan's mentor. He spoke to the bedridden man in greeting. "Hello Mason, nice to meet you. We've had a wonderful time staying with William. We're friends of Wade Barrett's well Calaway now. We want you to try to communicate with Evan." Adam spoke as if he were speaking to someone awake and alert.

Adam stepped back and nodded to Evan. Evan found his hubris and stood were Adam had. However, he didn't yet touch Mason. "Hello Mason, I'm glad to meet you too. I'm going to try to talk to you, with empathy, please respond, if you can." Evan spoke with more confidence than he had. It was a bit frightening to try something new, and with William hoping so hard.

Evan turned to William. "Could I please sit there? I'll need to hold his hand in mine to get a better... connection."

"What ever you need, Evan" William paused and stood. He caressed Mason's cheek. "Try, Mase, please try." William said once again as he moved out of Evan's way.

William and Adam stood silently at the foot of Mason's bed. They watched as Evan took Mason's right hand between both his hands. Evan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Very slowly and carefully he began to open his empathic door.

Evan had to focus hard, his mind buzzed with thoughts as they cried out through the nursing home. He pulled back and refocused. Evan started again, this time the buzzing had stopped. He probed his mind toward Mason. Evan ran into a wall of solid darkness. He began to call out in his mind.

" _Mason... Mason... please, let me in. I'd like to talk to you. I have William here... he'd love to give you a message, through me. All you have to do is think. Can you hear me, Mason?"_ Evan spoke in an earnest tone. He held Mason's hand a bit tighter.

Evan kept probing. Slowly, a small pinhole seemed to pierce the darkness. Evan kept calling out to Mason. The hole grew larger and larger. The light wasn't sharp and focused, it was distorted and misty, like a heavy London fog.

Evan thought he began to hear an empathic voice trying to speak, as it it was waking for the first time. _"He...llo..."_ A very heavily accented voice spoke. Evan knew a person's empathic voice was a mirror of their vocal voice. William had said Mason was Welsh, so Evan figured it must be a Welsh accent.

" _Yes, hello. My name is Evan. I'm here with William, William Regal."_ Evan hoped hearing William's name would waken Mason further.

" _Wills... is... here...?"_ The accented voice was getting a bit more focused and aware, but not stronger.

" _Yes, William is here. You can't hear him, but he's holding your hand."_ Evan said softly. He then opened his eyes. "William, take his hand." Evan closed his eyes again before he lost the precious connection.

William moved to stand on the other side of the bed. He carefully picked up Mason's left hand. There was an IV port in the back of the hand, but William could cradle it gently.

" _Wills...I...feel...my... Wills..."_ Mason's empathic mind spoke. The image Evan had was still a thick fog, framed in blackness.

Evan smiled and again opened his eyes. "He feels you. Um... he's calling you... Wills..." He flushed a bit a saying the obviously private lover's name Mason had for William.

Tears formed in William's eyes, and one spilled over. "Oh my Mase. Wills is here, baby. I love you, so much." He looked at Evan, another tear fell.

Evan closed his eyes and repeated William's words verbatim. This was why he was here, it was not to be shy or embarrassed.

The fog brightened, it was Mason's mental smile. _"Love him... can't... wake... up..."_ The fog darkened again.

Evan relayed the message. William's face darkened like the fog in Mason's mind. "Will he ever wake up? I want the truth." William's voice was serious as he cradled Mason's hand. His thumb gently brushed Mason's knuckles.

Evan carefully relayed the question to the unconscious man. He waited for a reply.

" _I... can't...try...so...hard...can't...won't...I'm...sorry...stupid...mistake..."_ Mason's mental voice faded in and out. The connection was weak at best.

Evan sadly shook his head. "He can't, he's tried. Said he won't. Said it was a stupid mistake. The connection is fading. It's very difficult for him."

William nodded. "My poor baby. I should have been there. It was my fault." He indicated for Evan to relay the words.

Evan did as asked. The fog lightened a bit. _"No...no...I...wanted...to...surprise Wills...not...his...fault...please...not his...fault."_ Mason's 'voice' was weak, but firm.

Evan again retold Mason's words. "Oh baby, my sweet darling baby. Mase, I was going to propose that night. Would you have said yes?" William had bent down to speak to Mason's heart.

The words were telepathically repeated by Evan. _"Yes...oh...yes. Wills...I'm... so...tired...I stay...try...to...come...back...can't...won't wake...so...sorry...sorry...love...you...my...Wills."_ Mason's fog glowed warm, then again faded to a hazy mist. The words were further apart and growing even weaker.

With a heavy heart and voice, Evan repeated Mason's words. William stroked Mason's cheek and brow as Evan spoke the Welshman's words.

In the mean time, Adam had gone to the window to look out at the peaceful park. He could see Roman and Chris as they walked in the park. They were talking intently about something.

Adam knew Roman must have through a similar hell during his possession. He vowed to make it up to Roman this weekend, some how. His heart ached for William, but Evan was doing the right thing.

During his ordeal, the aware part of Adam's mind, wished it could have told Roman he was fighting to come back, and that he loved his Islander. At least, now, William was getting a chance to speak to Mason. Adam was so proud of Evan and knew Bray would be as well. Evan was a good learner, and with more work, would be a very valuable member of the College Hill Ghost Hunters.

" _Addy... it's grandmother. I can't enter an empath conversation, unless invited. Do they need me?"_ Her voice was a soft whisper in Adam's mind.

Adam smiled both mentally and physically. _"Hello, dear. I don't think so, yet anyway. Please, stay close, just in case. I wish... William is so sad."_ Adam spoke with a mental sigh.

" _This is good for his Lordship. It will ease his aching heart. Evan is a good boy to help. You've done well with his training, as did Bray. Bray is a good boy too. Say, your mom and Carol are going camping this weekend. So as soon as we're done here, I'm going there. I want to watch over them. Oh Adam, your mother is so happy. I'm glad she didn't know about the … well you know. She misses you though, and Carol misses her Jaybird."_ Grandmother Copeland caressed Adam's mind gently with her words.

Adam gave his grandmother a mental hug and turned back to the others. Evan was still relaying messages from the two lovers.

William and Mason had "talked" about some personal things. Evan detached himself and tried to simply be the messenger. Each reply from Mason was getting fainter and fainter. Evan hated what he had to say next.

"William, it's... getting really, _really_ hard for Mason to respond. It's exhausting enough for a healthy person. So um..." Evan didn't want to rude.

William nodded. "I need to know, Evan. Does he want to go? Is he only staying here because of me?" His question came in a tear filled voice as he kissed Mason's brow.

Evan deepened his focus, he wanted to be sure Mason 'heard' him. _"Mason, William wants to know, are you ready to go? Are you staying only for him?"_

The foggy mist had closed even further. It took a few minutes, but the mist grew a bit brighter. _"I... am... I... will never... wake... up... I've... tried so... hard. I can't... go... until Wills... lets... me go... please... he must... let me … go. I... love him... always... he must... move on... I'm so... tired... Evan... tell him... I'll... be... alright... ancestors... call me... home..."_ The last few words were barely there, the light was only a small pinprick.

Evan repeated, word for word the soul wrenching message. William didn't care anymore, he openly wept. He bent down to Mason and whispered in his ear. Evan had to strain to hear the words to relay them to Mason.

"I love you, Mase. Go... got fly with our ancestors. I'll love you, always. I'll be alright, knowing you are a free soul. Go my love, go..." William buried his head in the crook of Mason's neck, inhaled his scent and sobbed.

After Evan gave Mason, Williams reply. He immediately felt Mason's entire being sigh with relief. _"Thank you... oh... thank you. The soul... seekers... of our... ancestors... will... come... for me... soon... I … will always... love you... my dearest Wills... always... good bye... my … love..."_ With Mason's last word, the fog completely vanished. Mason's mind was utterly exhausted.

Evan repeated the Welshman's last words. "... William, his mind is closed to me now. However, I am sure he can hear you, in his own way. We'll give you time alone with him. He was so happy, William. He wants to fly, to be free. He will always love you. Adam?" He looked from William to Adam. He nodded towards the door.

Adam smiled. "We'll be at the car. Take all the time you want."

William had retaken the seat next to the bed. "Alright. Evan, you have more than repaid me. I'll never be able to thank you properly. Adam, tell Layla to send up the papers. She will understand and I would guess, be relieved. I'll be down later. Thank you, both of you."

With a nod, Adam and Evan left. They stopped at the reception desk. When Adam gave the girl, Layla, William's message, she did indeed feel relieved and began to open Mason's file.

Once they were outside, Evan spoke. "What kind of papers?" He asked curiously as they walked toward the limo.

Adam shrugged. "Not positive, but I would say the papers will give them permission to stop the IV that's feeding Mason. Grandmother said it could take a week or two, for his physical body to pass, but you already set his soul free. I'm proud of you Evan. That was _not_ easy. I want you to lock your door and have fun with Chris. You have learn to let go of clients, I know William wasn't a client, but it's the same as. You do what you can to help, then let go. You'll drown in it if you don't. It doesn't mean you don't care, but you have to be ready to help the next person." Adam finished. They had joined Roman and Chris.

Evan was already in Chris' strong arms, crying softly.


	35. Busman's Holiday

The ride back to London was quiet. William had signed the papers that would finally free Mason. William was so glad Mason had given him that kind of legal authority, and he had done the same with Mason for himself as well. William had done all he could, and it was wrong to keep Mason alive.

Roman had told Damien the name of the hotel he had booked. So the limo pulled into the curved drive of the Langham Hotel.

Chris broke out in a small chuckle. "I thought we were supposed to be apart this weekend. I booked here too." He laughed again as Damien opened the limo door.

William spoke up. "It has five hundred rooms, so I doubt you will see each other. Evan, thank you again. I'll see all of you on Sunday. Don't worry, I am alright, or I will be. My Mase is finally free. Have fun, I mean it." He shook hands with Chris, Roman and Adam. He gave Evan a tight hug.

The two couples watched as the limo pulled away. William was headed back to West Amesbury. He would be waiting for a call, a call he hoped wouldn't take too long to come.

Chris and Roman picked up their bags. The couples went to the check in desk. Sure enough their Grand Rooms were on opposite ends of the huge hotel.

The couples parted ways and went off to begin their fun in London. They were ready for it. A Bellman carried the Reigns' bag and led them to the elevator.

The elevator stopped on the ninth floor of the hotel. They stepped off and went down the hall to the last room on the right. Roman loved corner rooms and he'd managed to book the last one available.

The Bellman unlocked the door and handed Roman the key. The hotel still used old fashioned keys instead of those annoying cards, that never seemed to work right.

The room was cozy. There was a queen sized bed of rich, clean oak, a matching full sized desk and two over stuffed, comfortable chairs.

The Bellman laid their bag on a luggage rack, next to the large wardrobe of the same beautiful, clear oak. A small matching dresser sat next to the wardrobe. The surfaces of the oak wood were so clean and well polished, it looked like glass, and the wood felt like silk.

The floor of the room was covered with a rich, deep forest green carpet. Damask silk drapes of the same deep green covered the windows, made up the canopy of the bed and matched the bedspread. The long windows gave the couple of view of the neighboring rooftops.

The Bellman showed the couple the beautiful marble bathroom, with a vanity, shower/tub and toilet. He explained that the basket filled with bath and beauty items was compliments of the hotel as was the basket of fruit that sat on small table under the window in the sitting area.

"You also have access to the Health Club and Wellness Spa. Just mark your newspaper of choice for the morning. Room Service is open twenty four hours. If you require anything else, please call the desk. Welcome to the Langham and enjoy your stay." The Bellman finished his speech. Roman marked what paper he wanted and handed the slip to the Bellman along with a twenty pound tip. With a smile and nod the Bellman left. Roman and Adam were finally alone. They both let out a long, deep sigh.

Adam laid down on the comfortable bed. It was a little smaller than they were used to, but it didn't matter. Roman kicked off his shoes and joined his husband. They lay on their backs, shoulder to shoulder.

"So, do you want to talk about it?" Roman asked softly. He held Adam's hand as they lay side by side.

Adam's free arm was over his brow, shielding his eyes. "Eventually, but not now. It's just too... soul ripping. I feel so bad for William, but I am so proud of Evan. He was wonderful." Adam gave another small sigh.

"Chris will take care of him. While we waited for you, we walked and talked. I gave him some hints on how to help Evan decompress. After all, I have plenty of experience." Roman's voice was calm and soothing. His thumb caressed the back of the hand that he held. He knew the action helped Adam to calm himself.

"Good. He couldn't have gotten advice from anyone better. I will say this; If you went through anything like what William is suffering, I'm sorry." Adam turned on his side and curled up to his husband. He laid his arm over Roman's chest and again sighed.

"Oh baby, it wasn't your fault. Unlike William, you came back to me. I do feel bad for William, but it's good he loved Mason enough to let him go. This place is awesome. Do you like it?" Roman wanted to change the subject.

Adam knew Roman wanted to move away from the topic and to be honest, so did he. "It's beautiful, haunted, but beautiful. I hope this won't turn into a busman's holiday. Grandma is with ma and mom Carol, they've gone camping. So, I can't tell her to keep spirits at bay." He gave Roman's neck a soft kiss.

"Mmmm. Love those luscious lips. Don't worry, I'll scare the ghosts away. Now, kiss me." Roman's voice had turned husky.

Adam gave his husband a lust filled chuckle. He rolled on top of Roman and straddled his hips. Adam wrapped his hands in Roman's shirt, leaned down and kissed Roman like it was the world's end.

Roman's hands wandered up Adam's thighs as they straddled his body. Their tongues tangled together like fighting snakes. Roman let Adam have control, he felt it was what his husband wanted and needed; for the moment.

Adam kept up the kiss as his long, deft fingers opened the buttons of Roman's shirt. Roman moved so Adam could completely remove his shirt. Adam's hands ran over the mostly smooth skin of his husband's sculpted, muscular chest. The Islander's tattoo left small ridges on the right side of Roman's body. Adam could read the intricate details of the tribal markings like a blind person reading braille.

Adam's lips moved from Roman's and trailed down his chin, to his throat. Adam licked and sucked the sensitive skin between his teeth. Roman let out deep, rumbling near purr-like sounds. Roman's hands some how managed to not only remove Adam's shirt, but unbuckle his belt, unfasten the button and unzip the skin tight, dressy black jeans Adam wore.

Adam's mouth moved down to Roman's chest. He swirled his tongue around Roman's right nipple, the licked his way across to do the same to the left bud of flesh. Roman squirmed, his head arched up off the pillow as Adam's mouth sucked his nipples till they ached. Roman let out a whine like Adam had never heard before.

Two pairs of hands fumbled. Jeans, socks and thongs flew across the room, landing haphazardly on the floor.

Adam's hot, wet mouth continued it's journey down Roman's hard, athletic torso. Adam's tongue was flat and wide as it ran down the valley between Roman's carved abdominal muscles. Adam then made his tongue into a sharp point and and ran it across the ridges of Roman's tight six pack.

Roman's hard cock bumped against Adam's throat as his mouth worked over Roman's torso. Roman buried his hands in the blond silkiness of Adam's hair, as his younger husband nipped along his hip dents. Adam's fingers reached up and kept up the torture of Roman's hard, tight nipples.

Adam moved to lie between Roman's strong, deeply bronzed, muscular legs. His head was in the perfect position. Adam began to lick the tip of Roman's cock, like a tentative kitten. Roman's hands now clutched at the sheets, as he let out a rumbling growl.

Adam slowly ran his wide tongue up the long, thick vein on the underside of Roman's dick. His right hand teased and played with Roman's balls, as his other hand held Roman's cock at the base.

Slowly, Adam swallowed his husband's cock down his throat. Roman's eyes rolled back in his head. Adam's mouth was so perfect, warm and silky, yet powerful as Adam sucked on his cock. Adam's cheeks were deeply hollowed as he slid back up the long, thick shaft of hard flesh. The Viking's hand gave his Islander's balls a hard squeeze.

Adam let go of Roman's cock. He reached around and managed to work his first and index fingers into his own hole of puckered flesh. Adam grunted around Roman's shaft as he stretched himself open. The grunt vibrated up and round Roman's cock. The sensation made Roman whine in downright pleasure as it rocketed up his spine.

The beautiful, old hotel room was filled with the sounds of wet sucking and licking and the groans and whines of pleasure that went with it.

Adam couldn't stand it any longer. The only thing he liked better than having Roman's cock in his mouth, was having it deep inside him. Adam moved once again to straddle Roman's hips. He took hold of Roman's cock and guided it to his waiting, quivering hole. Adam sucked in his lower lip and bit down on it as he lowered himself down on the hard shaft.

Roman's hands caressed Adam's thighs. "Easy baby. God you're so hot and tight," he nearly whined his words as Adam sank further down on his dick.

When Adam was fully seated on his husband's cock, he bent his body and captured Roman's lips in a searing kiss. He slowly began to pull off Roman's cock, the just before the tip popped out, he slid back down. Their tongues tangled together as Adam rode Roman's cock like a rider on a glorious stallion.

Roman's hand wrapped around Adam's cock and worked in perfected harmony with Adam's moves on his shaft. It was a dance of love that sent the couple soaring into the sexual heavens.

As Adam circled his his hips, Roman angled his hips in just the right way, so that his cock hit Adam's bundle of nerves. Adam cried out. "Oh yes... yes... yes!" His words were laced with hot pants and deep breaths.

The closer they came to their release, the faster Adam slid up and down on Roman's cock. Roman's hand moved faster on Adam's dick. He twisted at just the right moment as Adam rolled his hips.

Both men had a light sheen of sweat on their bodies and their breaths came out in hot, arid pants. They muttered curse laced words of passion that meant something only known to themselves was in lover's language, and every couple had their own dialect.

Roman felt his coiled release, he wanted Adam to cum first. He wanted to feel Adam's muscles clench around his cock as Adam came. "Cum for me Viking, cum for your Islander." Roman husked with a hard yank on Adam's cock.

Adam tossed his head back, his long hair tickled Roman's thighs. He rotated his hips so that Roman's cock rubbed his prostate. Roman's hand pumped Adam's cock quickly.

Adam couldn't stop his eruption if he'd wanted to. "Oh holy fuck!" Adam cried out as his cock spilled over Roman's hand, down his torso and onto Roman.

Adam's muscles clenched around Roman's cock. Roman kept tugging at Adam's cock, milking him for all its worth. Adam trembled, his eyes rolled. It had been a while since he'd been drawn out this long and it was wonderful.

Roman arched his back and drove his cock deep into the gripping heat of Adam's hole. His cock exploded, or at least it felt like it. He filled Adam with his spunk, some dripped out and pooled on his thighs and ran down Adam's ass.

Roman felt like he was spinning out of control. His body collapsed when Adam fell forward in his own sex sated collapse. Roman some how managed to lift his trembling arms and wrap them around his equally trembling husband.

Adam let out a small whine as Roman's flaccid dick slid out of his hole. Roman gently stroked his boys lower back. Adam gave Roman a soft kiss of thanks.

The Reigns' lay like that for a long time. The sun had shifted before either man was able to speak.

Roman's fingers slid through Adam's hair, he didn't care that bits of dried jizz clung to Adam's hair. It only added to Adam's intoxicating, after sex scent.

"Oh baby, that was the best blow I've had in a while... thank you." Roman whispered in Adam's ear. Adam's blow jobs were always great, but this one had been even more so.

Adam's head rested on Roman's shoulder, his finger traced the dark lines of Roman's tattoo. "Glad you liked it. You felt pretty damn good yourself. So tired..." Adam's words trailed off when a long, wide mouthed yawn over took them.

Roman gave his husband a smile. "Then sleep, my darling, Viking. I'll join you in your dreams." He let out a yawn of his own. He held Adam tighter as they both drifted off into a deep, after sex sleep.

Chris and Evan's room was on the ninth floor as well, but in a completely separate wing from Adam and Roman. Their room was just the same, except instead of deep hunter green, the color scheme was a deep, red wine and cream.

Evan busied himself by hanging their clothes in the solid, well built wardrobe. Chris put their shower and shaving kits on the marble vanity top in the bathroom.

Chris hooked up his lap top on the desk. He wanted to be able to check places they wanted to visit. This was all Evan's London trip and Chris would go anywhere Evan's heart desired.

Evan finished by putting a few things in the dresser. He liked it better than rummaging through a pack or suitcase, it just felt more like home.

Chris was looking through his email when he felt Evan's hands on his shoulders. "Hey baby boy. Any place you want to go?" Chris asked without taking his eyes off the computer screen.

"Not today, Chrissy. I do want to go on the London Eye, and I want to go to Westminster Abby. Speaking of, we should go to Abby Road Studios and you can cross the street, you're such a Beatlemaniac." Evan's voice had a slight edge to it. It wasn't anger, just emotion.

Chris turned to look at Evan. He knew immediately his boy was still affected by his encounter at the nursing home. He pulled Evan into his lap. Evan laid his head on Chris' shoulder. He tried, but Evan could no longer hold in the tears that finally rained from his eyes.

Chris held Evan close and let him cry. Evan needed to let it out, and if this was how, then he'd be there, no matter what. He gently rubbed Evan's back in small, comforting circles.

Evan gave a deep sniff. He pulled a tissue from the box on the desk. He wiped his nose. "Oh Chrissy, it was so sad. I'm glad I could help, but I wonder if I really did." He hiccuped his words as he tried to regain his composure.

"I'm sure you did. You gave William a chance to set Mason free. That's a big thing, baby. I'm so proud you were able to help." Chris spoke softly but firmly. He wanted Evan to know he'd done well.

"You think so? I'm so tired, I can't think." Evan gave a huge yawn. He smiled when he felt Chris stand and carry him to the bed. Chris was so strong, yet so gentle.

"You sleep, baby. You earned a nap." Chris gave Evan a kiss on the lips. He pulled Evan's shoes off, then covered his boy.

Evan bit his lip. He hated feeling so childish but, "Will you lay with me? Just till I fall asleep?" His eyes made Evan look not only like a puppy, but a lost one.

Chris smiled, kicked off his shoes and slid under the covers. Without a word he pulled Evan into his arms.

"Thank you. I love you, Chris." Evan spoke through a yawn as he settled in, his head on Chris' chest.

"I love you, Evan." Chris whispered as he held his boy. He was glad for a nap himself. Together they drifted off to a deep sleep.

It was six thirty by the time Roman and Adam had both showered and washed their long hair and dried it. They were dressed in jeans, t-shirts and sneakers.

"I called down for maid service, fresh sheets and towels." Roman called out to Adam who was still in the bathroom.

Adam finished pulling his hair into a low pony tail. "Thanks. Guess we did kind of dirty the sheets. You sure you don't mind my idea?"

Roman laughed. "Not at all, sounds like fun. When in London, do as a Londoner."

"Yeah, at least once. Okay handsome. You ready to squire your husband out to dinner?" Adam asked with a kiss to Roman's cheek.

Roman smiled. "You mean my _beautiful_ husband. Yes, lets go" He offered Adam his elbow as he pocketed the key to their room. Together, the couple walked out of the hotel.

Roman hailed a traditional London black cab. They soon arrived at their destination. They bought real fish and chips, wrapped in newspaper and walked across Tower Bridge. There was a park bench along the Thames. The couple sat down to eat and look at the beautiful bridge.

"Oh good lord. Please, can I eat in peace?" Adam waved his arm like he was brushing a swarm of flies from his food.

"Spirits?" Roman asked with a crunch as he bit into the delicious deep fried fish. It was still piping hot even after their leisurely stroll across the river.

"Yes, they are buzzing like flies. Let me..." Adam closed his eyes. Usually his grandmother kept the spirits at bay. Adam wasn't about to smoke and eat, besides, he had no cigarettes. He resorted to locking his psychic door, something he had not done in a very long time. His locks were rusty.

Roman watched his spouse. He could see that Adam had to struggle a bit. Finally, Adam opened his eyes.

"I should really do that more often. The locks had actually rusted. I've become too dependent on grandmother. Now I can eat." Adam took an enormous bite of fish. His cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk.

Roman laughed. "You can out bite me any time. Yes, baby you should, better than than smoking." His brow was highly arched, he really didn't like it when Adam smoked.

Adam chewed and swallowed, chewed and swallowed again. He took a sip of his soda. "You're right. It will be easier on grandmother too. Well, I guess we all get lazy. I should of realized in a place like this, spirits would be everywhere. I'm sure our hotel is full of them. Ro, I don't want a busman's holiday." He whined his last few words like a petulant child.

Roman laughed. "You big baby. Say, you think Evan is alright?" He turned serious as they continued to eat. Their view was wonderful as the atmosphere began to glow as the evening flood lights came on.

Adam finished the bite of chips as he sipped his drink." I'm sure he's fine. Chris will see to it. I've never seen two people come together like they did. Even I played a _little_ hard to get. I'm glad though, especially now that Bray's boys moved to Cedar Falls." He took his last bite of fish.

"Chris asked me a lot of questions... oh I told you that. Yes, I agree, Chris was upset when Bray started talking about the boys moving. Chris wasn't meant to be alone. Well, my love, what do you want to do now?" Roman asked s he threw their trash in a nearby rubbish bin.

"Oh, I don't know. I want to hit Harrods tomorrow, we could both use some new clothes and I would love some new sheets. Anything we buy, they will ship, so that's good. We need to buy gifts too, for ma and mom Carol. Tea, big baskets of tea. You wanted some of those cigars William gets. Maybe we should just go back to the room and relax." Adam spoke thoughtfully as the walked back over Tower Bridge.

They paused half way across and took pictures with their cell phones. Selfies, and then pictures of Adam, then Roman. They had fun posing for each other, some silly some serious. The river was beautiful as they took pictures of the reflected lights on the water.

Roman had agreed, an early relaxing night sounded very good. He even had hopes of maybe getting into Adam's ass again. After all, it was still close to their Anniversary, sort of. He hailed another cab and soon they were back at their hotel.

When they went to the desk to see if there were any messages the clerk was busy. A young couple was loudly complaining.

"The taps in the bathroom came on by themselves. When I turned on the lights, they stopped. When I turned the lights off, the taps came back on before I was out of the bathroom. It's like... it's haunted!" The young man was very upset. His wife looked downright terrified.

"I'm very sorry, Sir. All I can do is offer you another room, with an upgrade with our compliments." The clerk spoke in earnest. Her superior had joined her and the man had whispered in her ear.

The couple looked at each other. "Alright, but I want a room as far from that one as possible." The young man was firm as he spoke.

"No worries, Sir. Well see that all your things are moved. Front!" She called out. A Bellman stepped up to the desk. He quickly ushered the couple to their new room.

The Supervisor spun on the clerk. "How many times I have I told you, never rent room three three three unless we are full!" He was angry as he walked away, leaving a very embarrassed clerk.

The clerk turned to the Reigns', her face was red. "I'm sorry you had to see that. How may I help you?"

Adam sighed. "Well, maybe I can help you. I may be able to fix your problem..." He went on to explain about his gift and how there were paranormal investigators.

The clerk looked dumbstruck. "You think you could help? Oh, my boss wouldn't like it though. They never allow groups like yours investigate. I wish they would. Look, um... could you do it … privately?" Her eyes darted toward the office door the Supervisor had slammed as she spoke.

"Of course, just give me the key. We'll wait a couple of hours. Then see if we can find out anything. I'd be happy to help." Adam couldn't believe he was doing this, but he had to help if he could, it was just his nature.

"Alright. I'm here all night. Thank you Mister Reigns, Doctor Reigns. We get so many complaints about that room." She slyly slid the key to room 333 to Adam, along with a couple of messages she had for the couple.

"We'll come down when we're done." Adam took the key and messages and went with Roman to the elevator.

Once in their room, Roman laughed when Adam flopped down, face first on the bed with a whine. "Well, baby, you walked us right into a busman's holiday. You just can't help it can you?" Roman sat on the bed and pulled the messages from Adam's hand.

Adam rolled onto his back. "I know, I know. That couple looked so upset, though, and that poor clerk. Are you mad at me?" Adam asked with a bit of a pout. He wouldn't blame Roman if he was.

"Of course not, Viking. I know you, and it makes me proud that you want to help. We will have to be sneaky though or the clerk could be in a lot of trouble. I only regret we don't have any equipment. Jay says Hi and see you Sunday. Seth says P.I.G.S. is fantastic and we should go." Roman read the messages aloud, then laid them on the bedside table.

"I wonder how much company money Seth spent. We _should_ go there. Jason just being Jason. Yes, but, we didn't have equipment at first. I agree, you will have to stand watch, make sure we don't get caught." Adam was thoughtful as he spoke. His mind already on the job.

Roman left Adam alone. He figured Adam would try calling his grandmother. Roman briefly contemplated calling Chris and Evan but thought against it. Evan had been through enough today.

Roman went to the desk and fired up his lap top. He shook his head, he had forty emails from students. He opened a few of them and answered the questions he could. Most were from his doctorate students, needing something for their thesis. One wanted permission to include data from the Robinson Caruso Island Park investigation. He replied. An email from Stephanie McMahon drew his interest. He opened it and read it with a wide eyed look of shock. He hadn't realized he'd gasped until Adam spoke.

"Roman? What's wrong? Is it ma?" Adam sat up and looked at his husband with anxious eyes.

"No baby. Calm down. It's from Stephanie McMahon; listen. 'Dad fascinated by the article I wrote. Wants to film an investigation for a live television show. Would you be willing? Let me know, ASAP. Hope your trip is fun, Steph,' I'm just... shocked." Roman moved the lap top so Adam could read the message for himself.

"Absolutely not! I won't go for that, not at all." Adam nearly growled his words as he read the email again.

"Well, I tend to agree with you, but the group will have to vote on it. We can't make that decision alone. So, what's the plan for later?" Roman closed his email and shut down his lap top.

"Yeah, you're right,, can you imagine Mark agreeing to live television? Or Shawn?..." Adam paused and rubbed his chin and smoothed his light beard. "Well, I didn't call grandmother. I thought about it, but what if she comes and something happens at the campsite. I should be able to do this without help. If Evan hadn't been through so much, but, we can do this." Adam gave a firm nod of his head.

Roman nodded too. "Yeah, I thought about Evan and Chris as well, but I agree. We can do this. Give it another hour, at least. I want to make sure the staff has moved that couple out."

Adam and Roman waited until three in the morning. They had gone down once, but housekeeping was still in room 333, so they decided to wait a while longer.

The Reigns' stopped just shy of room 333. They couldn't believe what they saw, Chris and Evan were headed their way. Chris pulled Evan to a stop by the hand. They stared at Roman and Adam.

Adam followed by Roman, walked up to the empath and historian. He whispered. "What the hell are you doing here, Squirt?" Adam wasn't angry, but his brow was arched.

"Um... well... I... um..." Evan was so shocked at seeing his mentor, he couldn't really speak.

"We were doing his empathic exercises, in the brief moment his door was open, he said, room three, three, three, I have to go to room three, three, three. I told him we wouldn't be able to get in... but..." Chris explained with a shrug. He was used to strange things happening by now.

Roman held up the key to the room. He opened the door and rushed everyone inside, so they could talk properly. Adam turned on his flashlight.

Adam briefly explained about the couple and the desk clerk. "... so, I said I'd see what I could do. We just can't escape it. Well, you're here so you might as well stay. You aren't too tired?" Adam spoke quietly. Evan shook his head to indicate he was not too tired to help.

"Chris, help me keep an ear out for staff. We don't want to be discovered." Roman said with a nod to Chris. He stood by the closed door, his eye on the "peep" hole. Chris stood close to Roman and kept his ear to the door.

Adam started the investigation. He and Evan stood on either side of the door to the bathroom. "Hello, to any spirits here. I'm Adam and this is Evan. If you speak to me, I can hear you. Are there any spirits here?" Adam wished they had an audio recorder, but Seth had all their equipment for cleaning and charging after their heavy use in the dusty Hellfire Caves.

Evan opened a few locks and laid his hand on the bathroom door. All he picked up was flashes of sanding and repainting the door.

Adam continued, he spoke both with his voice and his mind. "Please, if you can hear me, give me a sign." Adam kept his voice soft, warm and inviting.

It took a moment, but soon there was a slight "squeak" and the water faucets turned, a steady stream of water came out of the spout.

"Thank you. Can you turn the water off?" Adam asked the unsee spirit. It wasn't long before the water stopped flowing.

"If you're willing to communicate, turn the water back on." Adam again spoke to the spirit.

The water turned on almost immediately. "Good. Turn it off again, please." Adam asked he held his flashlight on the sink. The water glistened in the concentrated beam.

The water suddenly stopped. "Thank you. Now lets do this. Turn the water on for yes, leave it off for no. Do you understand?" Adam waited, the water turned on briefly, then stopped once again.

Adam spent the next several minutes asking basic questions. When he'd finished, he'd discovered the spirit was a lady, from the Victorian Era, and she'd often stayed at the hotel. She was looking for her children. Adam was trying to establish what had happened to them. All he knew was, they had not died while young.

Adam scratched his head. Evan piped in. "Maybe, her husband took them from her?" He looked at his mentor with a shrug of his shoulders.

Adam didn't even open his mouth before the water turned on, almost violently. Adam smiled and gave Evan a pat on the shoulder. The water turned off again.

"So, he took them from you. That wasn't nice. Did you ever see them again?" Adam's tone was slightly sad as he spoke. The faucet turned on, the water was slow this time, almost like tears.

Evan tapped Adam on the shoulder. He'd put his hand on the sink and gotten a brief impression. "He put you in the asylum didn't he?" The water again turned on full force, then shut off just as fast.

Evan continued. "you weren't …. insane, were you?" The to men waited, but the water remained off.

"He wanted your money didn't he?" Evan asked questions as he picked up more flashes of the lady's life. Once again the water flowed full force. When the point was made it turned off.

"So, he locked you up, took your children and left you to suffer the rest of your life." Evan looked at Adam as the water turned on and ran for a long time before it finally stopped.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. It was very, very bad. But, your children are not here. Do you stay, because you think you will see them here?" Evan asked as they watched the water flow, then stop.

Adam tapped Evan's shoulder. He wanted to take over the conversation again. "Do you mean to scare the people who stay here?" They waited, but no water ran.

"When you turn the water on, it scares the people very much. If you keep scaring them, the hotel will bring someone in to make you leave. Do you want that?" Adam asked firmly. The two gifted men once again waited; nothing happened.

"If you want to stay, you must stop turning the water on. Do you understand?" Adam smiled as the water flowed gently from the tap.

"Good. I'll tell them you will stop. But, remember, if you turn the water on again and scare people, they won't let you stay. Promise me, no more water." Adam again smiled as the water turned on and off again quickly.

Both Adam and Evan sighed. "She's gone. Think she understands?" Evan asked as they stepped away from the bathroom door to join their men.

Adam and Evan briefly explained what had happened. Roman nodded. "We'd better hurry., the staff are starting to stir, delivering papers and things. You two go back to your room. Adam and I will go talk to the clerk. Good work, both of you."

Chris held up his hand to stop Roman from opening the door. A maid with a cart of newspapers was passing by. As soon as she was gone, the four men quickly and quietly left the room.

Chris and Evan said good bye with brief hugs. Adam and Roman went to the elevator and went down to the lobby. The young woman at the desk looked very relieved to see the Reigns' step off the elevator. Her boss would be there soon.

"I thought you forgot about me. My boss will be here any minute. Did you find anything?" She asked in a hurried whisper.

Roman laid the key on the counter as Adam explained what he and Evan had discovered. The clerk listened with rapt intent.

"...So, I don't think you will have any more problems. If you do, you will have to bring in someone to remove her. Spirits can be like children, you have to be firm with them. She's just sad and hoping, one day, a great grandchild might come here. She's not harmful, just attention seeking. Usually once they tell their story, they are satisfied. Ghosts are people with a story they want heard. She left once she finished, but if she does return, she won't play with the taps." Adam finished with a nod.

"Oh, thank you. Of course, I can't say anything, but if we stop getting complaints, I'll be happy. Here, take this voucher for a free breakfast, I'll send one to Mister Jericho's room as well." The clerk was happy as she looked for the file of vouchers.

"No, but thank you. We don't take payment in any form; ever. We are glad we could help. Why don't you give the voucher to the couple you had to move. Well that's it. I hope we really helped. Here's my card, email me and let me know..." Adam quickly handed over his card, the manager had just walked in the front door.

The clerk pocketed Adam's card. "Have a good day, Sir. I'll make sure you aren't disturbed." She gave Adam and Roman a wink and a made a note in her card file.

A few minutes later, back in their own room, Adam and Roman wearily stripped naked and slipped into their bed. Adam was securely curled in Roman's strong embrace. Roman gave a deep yawn as he turned off the bedside light.

"We'll do Harrods when we wake up, I promise. You did really well, as did Evan. Wish we could have filmed it. We don't get good communication like that very often." The Parapsychologist in Roman couldn't help but have a bit of regret there was no data to study.

"I know, but, we can give an oral report. Now, I'm tired. Let's get some sleep, my Islander. I love you, Ro. Thanks for always supporting me, even when I walk into an investigation." Adam's yawn matched Roman's.

"I love you, Viking. Well, you support me just as much. My long hours, my bad moods, dealing with students... I couldn't do my job without you. I appreciate you, baby, so much." Roman kissed the top of Adam's head softly. The couple fell into a much needed rest.

Over the next two days, all the members of the College Hill Ghost Hunters took in as much of the Great City of London as possible.

Shopping, museums, palaces, restaurants, pubs and general sight seeing was enjoyed by all. Even Mark and Wade let their hair down and walked barefoot through a quiet part, hand in hand.

Jason really enjoyed spending some time with colleagues at New Scotland Yard. He exchanged badges with one of the Bobbies and he was also given a real Bobbies helmet. Heath did his shopping and had a wonderful time.

Seth had purchased some new equipment, that would be shipped back home. Dean decided that he would convert four of the rooms over The Fringe into "hotel" rooms. He would only rent them on busy college weekends.

Shawn and Hunter had a marvelous second honeymoon. He even joined Hunter on the golf course. Hunter faithfully followed Shawn around to London's most famous churches.

Adam and Roman spent a lot of time and money at Harrods, but they got a lot a good deals , so Roman was okay with spending a chunk from their savings. They also did their share of tourist things.

Chris and Evan also had a wonderful time and Evan bought a beautiful white suit for his wedding. They made a few plans as they walked the streets of London. The wedding would be during the fall break. They just needed to check with Shawn for the date.

It was a very recharged and refreshed group of ghost hunters that meet at the station to catch the train to Amesbury. Dean and Seth had returned to Regal Manor the day before, to see Sheamus and Drew.

On the train ride, everyone seemed to talk at once about their individual adventures. Cell phones were passed around so pictures could been seen. They were as giddy as school boys going home for a holiday. Wade glowed and Mark smirked, their honeymoon had been a happy one.

William, Dean and Seth were at the station to meet the train. The short limo ride back to Regal Manor was a near repeat of the train ride as the caught up with Seth and Dean.

Later that night, after a wonderful dinner, the group was on the patio. A fire blazed in the fire ring while brandy and cigars were passed around.

Roman looked at Adam and nodded. Adam got up and went to the fire pit. He looked at his team.

"We've gotten an offer, and it's one that could change our lives; forever." Adam's tone was serious.

All eyes were on Adam. What could possibly be that important?


	36. Homeward Bound

Jason looked at Adam. He'd seen Adam look serious, but not like this, it almost unnerved him. "Good lord, Addy. What is it? Has something bad happened?" Jason's face was scrunched with worry.

Adam shook his head. "No Jason, nothing bad, but, it could have a serious affect on us. We all have to have a say. It's a group decision; majority rule..." He paused and pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket.

Adam continued. "Roman got this email while we were in London. Let me read it..." Again he paused to put on his reading glasses. He went on. "Dad fascinated by the article I wrote. Wants to film an investigation for a live television show. Would you be willing? Let me know ASAP. Hope your trip is fun. Steph." Adam removed his glasses. He handed the email to Jason, who already had his hand out.

Shawn spoke up first. "Adam, what is your opinion?" He wanted a serious talk, before emotions ran high, as they tended to do sometimes.

"To be honest, I am against it, as a live investigation, however, Roman and I came up with another idea. Maybe put together our own video presentation, that focuses on the scientific aspects. Perhaps some of Roman's aura study, and Hunter's medical research during the investigation. I'm just concerned about the image those weekly ghost hunter type shows project. They barely show any scientific studies. But, as I said, this is a group decision. What ever we decide, everyone agrees and supports it or we won't do anything at all." Adam spoke firmly as the group leader.

Mark let out a puff of blue-gray smoke, it curled up and wafted up into the summer night air. "Those shows make us look like... clowns. All that screaming and shouting. That one group, that provokes spirits, well, they are lucky they haven't been truly harmed by demons. The other show at least _tries_ to debunk, but they laugh and horse around, something a professional does not do. McMahon is into sensationalized television. I'm not sure if he wouldn't rig tricks or do some creative editing to make us look foolish. I vote no to a live show, but, perhaps yes, if and I mean _if_ we get to make the video, alone, without McMahon." His eyes blazed as he spoke. He meant what he said.

Hunter tapped his the ashes from his cigar, then leaned forward to address the group. "I'm with Mark. I'll tell you what else I'd do. Have Jerry come up with a binding legal agreement, that McMahon nor any of his employees can touch our finished presentation. If he does, we sue his fucking ass, to the highest possible court." He too had fire in his eyes, he remembered how McMahon had destroyed the career of a wonderful surgeon.

"I'm fairly sure I can come up with a safety measure that would ensure our program couldn't be tampered with. If he puts it through an editing machine, it would wipe out our disc. I'd have to work on it though, it's really only a theory." Seth spoke with a thoughtful wrinkle to his brow, already lost in his technical thinking mind.

Jason nodded. "Another sure way would be to not give him the disc until the last possible moment, and Seth would stay with it. Of course, Dean and I would be there as well... to... um... protect things." He looked over at Dean. A knowing smirk on his lips and sparkle in his eyes.

Dean returned the smirk and hit his left fist into the palm of his hand. "Right Officer, excuse me, Sargent Reso, and I will make sure no disc is …. interfered with." His eyes flashed with deadly seriousness.

Shawn shook his head. "Now boys, no need for that, but, I agree with Hunt. Jerry should be consulted, if we decide to do this. Roman, you're turn, what do you say about all this?" He once again tried to maintain a serious decorum to the conversation.

Roman exhaled a perfect ring of cigar smoke. "Well, I have to be honest. I'm with Adam, no live show. I would like a chance to show my aura theory, but would anyone outside of the scientific paranormal world watch it? I'm worried that people are only really interested in that other type of show. My suggestion would be, to set up a meeting with McMahon, on our turf and work it out, then make our final decision. However, I will stay to my word, no live show. Period." He looked at the other members of the College Hill Ghost Hunters.

"Everyone agrees then, no live television? I'll email Stephanie and tell her. We will see if we can set up a meeting to talk about it with her when we get back. Does that sound satisfactory?" Adam looked at his team.

"I think you show good sense. I've watched that live ghost hunting show we have over here, with that horrible screaming woman. If they ever _did_ find a ghost the poor thing would be terrified!" William added with a laugh. He hoped they would not do such a television program.

"Yes, we're agreed. No live television. Oh William, I've seen that program as well. She nearly screamed down Dracula's Castle. Shame too, because they actually do try to be serious, they come close, but then they just go one scream too far. I can understand it though, I mean, we have hours and hours where nothing happens, an audience of casual viewers would lose interest quickly, if they didn't do "entertaining" things." Shawn made air quotes around entertaining, as he spoke with a shrug, for the group.

They finished their brandy and cigars, talking about their London adventures. Evan and Adam told in greater detail about their mini investigation they had at the hotel. Everyone laughed a bit, but Seth let out a sigh. He was annoyed with himself.

"I shouldn't have taken all the equipment. That would have been a fantastic event to capture on film. Cell phone cameras just can't catch it. I won't let that happen again. Sorry boss." Seth sighed again and hung his head a bit.

"Seth, no, don't you dare feel bad. No one thought an investigation would come up. I'd much rather have you do the maintenance on the equipment. It was interesting, but you know, I'm not so sure she would have been so forthcoming with a camera. She was terribly shy." Adam smiled at Seth to show he wasn't the least bit upset.

Dean too gave his lover a firm pat on the shoulder. Seth smiled, Dean always made him feel better, no matter what.

Later that evening, Mark and Wade were the last ones out on the patio with William. Mark enjoyed a rare second glass of extra fine brandy, and a cigar. Wade sat next to his Uncle.

"Do you want to talk?" Wade asked, brow raised. He wanted his Uncle William to know he was there for him.

"It's hard to let go of someone you love, even though it's for the best. You know, I was going to propose to him the night of the accident..." William's words faded as he pulled a small black velvet box from his pocket.

William opened the box and revealed a beautiful blood red ruby, on a platinum band. The ruby was cut into the shape of a crescent moon, and tiny stars were etched into the band. It was one of a kind, William had it custom made.

"That is beautiful, Uncle. You... didn't want to give it to him anyway?" Wade was a bit surprised that William hadn't given the ring to Mason long ago.

"I... I did not think it was right. He might have said no. Now that I know, he would have said yes, I'll take it when I go to visit him on Tuesday. Say, do me a favor, keep everyone occupied, I don't want a bunch of questions. Just … tell them I had business to attend to in the city." William spoke thoughtfully as he closed the box and put it back in his pocket.

"Of course, Uncle. I am so glad Evan's idea worked. Are you... at peace?" Wade asked, his hand gently on his Uncle's shoulder.

"I am. Hard as it is, I am finally at peace. I will never be able to properly thank Evan. Please, let me know when their wedding will be. I want to send a nice gift." William sipped his last bit of brandy and gave his cigar a final puff.

"Good. Well, Uncle, we will say good night. Love you." Wade stood as did William. Uncle and nephew hugged and Wade kissed his Uncle's cheek. Mark and William exchanged a firm handshake with a pulled in hug. With that, the entire household was turned in for the night.

The rest of the College Hill Ghost Hunter's vacation passed peacefully. The night of June 29th was their last evening at Regal Manor. The next morning, the group would go to the Heathrow Airport Hotel. They wanted to be there a day early so they would easily make their flight on July 1st.

William had arranged for a parting ceremony at Stonehenge. He offered up a blessing for a safe journey home. It was a beautiful and emotional moment as they stood in the center of the ancient ring of stone. The moon was full and the sky way brilliant with uncountable stars.

William rode to London with the travellers, in the limo. It was an emotional farewell as the ghost hunters bid good bye to their host. William and Wade hugged tightly and vowed to see each other again; soon. Mark and William also hugged. Mark vowed to William on the stones of the Henge, to take care of Wade, always. With that, William left the best guests he'd ever had, with a lone tear on his cheek.

What William hadn't said was that just before they had left London, the call had finally come. Mason had gone to be with the Ancestors, at four-thirty, that morning. He was finally free and happy. William was sad, but at peace because he knew his beloved Mase _was_ with the Ancients. It was for the best.

No one would know of William's grief until after they got back home to Iowa. William knew they would have wanted to stay, but he knew the group had to get back to work and their lives. It too, was for the best.

While the flight home was still premium first class, they didn't have private cabins like they'd had on the flight to Ireland. The College Hill Ghost Hunters landed safely in Chicago. After they checked in to the airport Hilton, Mark and Wade went to rent another mini bus. Mark was happy this time, the were able to rent a black mini bus, much better than neon yellow.

The drive back to Cedar Falls was uneventful. Each mile they went the happier everyone became. As they drove into the city limits of Waterloo, Adam had a sudden horrible thought.

"Oh crap, we have to stop at Hy-Vee. We don't have any any food or drink in the house". Adam actually whined. He didn't want to go shopping, he wanted to get home and into his own bed.

Shawn laughed. "Don't fret, son. I got a text from Mike Chioda, listen. 'Knew you'd be tired. Got a few groceries to tide each of you over for a day or two. Hope you don't mind. See you soon. Mike' He is so thoughtful." Shawn showed Adam the text message just to ease his mind further.

Adam let out a happy laugh. "Remind me to buy that man a gift." He was even happier as they crossed into Cedar Falls.

"Look!" Heath pointed out one of the windows. They saw the most beautiful sight. They saw the clock tower Campanile, as it stood sentinel over the campus of Northern Iowa University; and home.

They first dropped Dean and Seth at The Lunatic Fringe. Shawn and Hunter were next as the minibus turned down the alley that ran all the way to 6152 Olive Street, then to Walnut Street.

Adam got his chance to thank Doctor Mike Chioda as Hunter and Shawn gathered their suitcases. The Doctor was pleased that Adam and Heath, along with Wade were happy about his grocery shopping.

The minibus drove down the last few yards of the long journey. They pulled up next to the garage. First things first, as they carefully unloaded the paranormal equipment tote boxes and stored them in the basement. Hunter's medical totes were also unloaded and stored.

Heath grinned as he entered his kitchen from the basement. It was good to be home. Jason was pleased that everything had been well cared for. Even the lawn had recently been mowed.

The Reigns', Calaway's, Chris and Evan made their way up to the second and floor. Adam and Roman continued to the third floor. Adam was almost dancing as Roman unlocked their door.

Adam rushed in, tossed his bags into the corner and flopped down on their extra long, king sized bed. He let out a groan that was nearly sexual in nature.

Roman laughed. "You happy to be home, my Viking?" He put his bags down next to Adam's. He opened the six windows to let in the fresh air.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!, _My_ pillows, _my_ blanket, my feet don't hang off the end of the bed." Adam grabbed his favorite pillow and hugged it to his chest.

"I know what you mean about the short beds. Then again, most men aren't as tall or as handsome as we are. I'm gonna check the groceries." Roman bent down and gave Adam's lips a wet smack. He went to the kitchen, he was getting rather hungry.

Adam got up and followed after Roman. His man was hungry and it was his pleasure to be the one to feed him. Sometimes truly enjoyed being the "wife", especially when it came to making Roman happy.

"Oh wow!" Adam exclaimed as he looked at the huge basket on the kitchen table. Roman had begun to pull out the groceries.

There was a loaf of whole wheat bread from the Hy-Vee bakery, along with a box of fresh pastries. There was a bag of apples, oranges and bananas. A huge box of wheat flakes cereal and a box of plain corn flakes. There was a bag of fresh ground cinnamon caramel coffee, a bag of sugar, and a plastic bear filled with honey. Next came a jar of strawberry preserves, a box of biscuit mix, and maple leaf shaped tin of real, Canadian Maple Syrup. A note explained there was milk in the fridge.

Adam opened the fridge and let out another gasp. There was a gallon of milk, gallon of orange juice, a twenty four can box of Pepsi, a dozen large eggs, a pound of butter, and two pounds of bacon. There blocks of cheddar and American cheese. A large pack of hamburger, a pack of chicken breasts, a pack of ham steaks and an eight pound beef roast.

"Good grief, I won't have to shop for a couple of weeks. That man was too generous. I'll have to freeze most of this meat. How about some bacon and eggs?" Adam asked as Roman started to make a pot of the delicious smelling coffee.

"And biscuits?" Roman asked with puppy eyes as he held up the blue and white box of baking mix.

"Of course, my Lord." Adam bowed deeply and took the box from Roman with a laugh.

While Adam prepared their meal, Roman went around and plugged in their television, DVD player, stereo, game system and desk top computer. Roman also started the ceiling fans in the kitchen, living room and bed room, mainly to get the fresh air circulating.

Roman laid on the couch and turned on the television, he wanted to catch up on the local news. Out of curiosity, he turned to KWWL, McMahon's station.

Adam had just taken the biscuits out of the oven when Jay and Heath popped their heads in the door. "Can we come in?" Jason called out.

"Of course, come in." Roman sat up and called out to the Reso's in return.

"Oh sorry, didn't realize you were fixing to eat. I just wanted to know if you got a weeks worth of food too? Wade and Mark sure did. Evan got a huge basket of stuff too." Heath explained as he nosed around in the Reigns' basket.

"Might as well join us. I'll just fry up a couple more eggs." Adam said with a nod to the couple.

"Well, if you're sure. It smells great. I love breakfast for supper. I'll set the table." Heath replied as he reached for the plates in the cupboard.

Jason had joined Roman on the couch. There was and expose piece on the Waterloo Police Department. A cop had been accused of police brutality.

"That happened just before we left for Ireland. Of course, they don't mention the perp was higher than a kite and had a baseball bat. That video was after the bastard had belted an officer in the jaw. How does McMahon get away with that fucking shit?" Jason's face was like thunder, his eyes were the sparks of lightening.

"He uses the words, alleged and possibly. The truth will out. Internal Affairs, right?" Roman asked. He clicked to the retro music channel when the police story ended.

"Yeah, but of course, that won't get any mention..." Jason was cut off when Adam called everyone to the table.

After Roman said grace, Jason continued to rant. "I'll tell you, we ain't doin' a fucking thing for that station until Lawler has McMahon's balls squeezed so tight he won dare fucking fuck with the CHGH!" He took an enormous bite of food and chewed violently.

Adam swallowed a sip of coffee. "Don't worry, Jay. Jerry will see to it. Have you gotten your shift schedule yet? Can you be there Saturday?" Stephanie had replied and asked for a meeting their first Saturday back. That was the day after tomorrow.

"Oh, I'll be there. I'll just tell dispatch to reach me by my hand-held radio. We still doing the pig roast on the beach, to celebrate our belated Forth of July?" Jason took another violent bite of food.

"Yup. I ordered the piglet before we left. I'll pick it up early. Mark and Wade are going to come help dig the pit. Don't forget to get the fireworks permit. I hope it all comes together." Roman scowled a bit of the thought of everything that had to be done. While it was a belated Fourth celebration, it would be the last big get together before starting work on the fall semester.

"Roman, my love. You spent nearly the entire flight from London, issuing instructions. We all know our jobs. I'm glad Jerry will be there, give us a chance to talk about McMahon." Adam laid a calm hand on Roman's leg.

"You are right, it will all get done. Well, it _is_ Jerry's riverfront cabin and property we will be using. But, I swear, if the box from Dwayne doesn't arrive tomorrow morning, I am going after UPS. Remember, when the box of banana leaves get here it goes in the basement." Roman kept thinking about the pig roast.

"Yes, Roman dear. Stop fretting. More eggs, babe?" Adam hated when Roman got like this, mainly because the man tended to worry himself sick.

Roman shook himself. "Yes, please. Sorry. I said I wouldn't obsess, and trust everyone to do their jobs. I'm glad that I put Hunter with Dean and Seth. At least I know with Hunter there, Dean won't get overly dangerous with the fireworks." He laughed and was back to himself.

Adam fried two more eggs for his husband, and one more for Jason. Heath refilled their coffee cups, then started a fresh pot to brew. They ended the evening with a rousing game of Skip-Bo.

On Saturday, before they could even get all their laundry washed, it was suddenly time for their meeting with Stephanie.

All the College Hill Ghost Hunters and Stephanie McMahon sat around a large table in the basement of the Olive Street house. Seth had set up all the computers, they were still analyzing all the data from the Hellfire Caves. However, for the meeting, Seth had carefully stored the data and shut down the computers. The data wasn't ready to be seen by anyone, especially a journalist.

Jason had just arrived. He'd told the dispatcher he was out for his lunch break. He took off his baseball style police cap, kissed Heath and sat down.

Adam smiled. "Now, we can officially get started. I guess we'd better not beat around the bush. Stephanie, we've talked about it, and voted on it. We are not willing to do a live, televised investigation." He was friendly,but the stony gaze on his face expressed his seriousness.

Stephanie looked at the men around the table. It was obvious, by looks on their faces, they were just as serious as Adam. She couldn't believe it.

"I... I... don't know what to say. I was so sure you'd jump at the chance to show the viewers how serious you are. Have you really thought about this Doctor Reigns? A chance to prove some of your theories on live television! And Adam, you'd be able to prove your gift is real. May I ask why? Why refuse such a fantastic opportunity?" Stephanie again looked at every man seated at the table.

Jason opened his mouth to speak, but Shawn wisely beat him to the punch. "If I may? He looked at Adam. Adam nodded.

"Well, you see Miss Stephanie, Adam doesn't need to prove anything. Please, forgive me for being so blunt, we don't trust your father. We are afraid he will try to manufacture evidence for ratings. You must realize, the type of sensationalized stories he puts on the air." Shawn was honest, but there was no other way to be. The matter was too important.

Stephanie nodded. "Well, yes, I do. It's something he and I often argue about. He says sensation is ratings, ratings are money. This what I didn't tell you, I'd be producing the show. Father is giving me full control. He was interested in the things I told him about the park. I didn't give him anything to breech the agreement I signed. I swear. I just gave him a very general overview, no details. I never told him people or the exact location. I was careful, just like I would be for the program. Is there nothing I can say that will change your minds?" She had an earnest gleam in her dark eyes.

"No way! No way in hell!" Jason's eyes blazed, his arms folded over his chest. His breaths came in short huffs.

Adam frowned at Jason. "Jason, we don't have an issue with Stephanie, so knock it off. Sorry, he is a bit upset right now, but I don't blame him. However, that has nothing to do with this." Adam paused and gave Jason a hard glare. He loved his 'brother' but some times Jason spoke before he thought. Jason looked sheepish.

"You're right. I'm sorry Miss McMahon. Tell your father to tell the truth. No, no, I'm sorry, I have no issues with you. I'll keep my mouth shut." Jason sank back in his chair. Heath put his arm around his husband's shoulder in solidarity.

Adam continued. "We do have an alternative idea. Let's put together a program. We'll include Roman's aura theory study, Hunter's medical research and of course, investigation footage. We would want _total_ control of all content. We would also expect your father to sign an agreement not to tamper with the program. Seth will be with the program disc at all times. Would you be willing to do that?" He looked hard at Stephanie. It was this or nothing as far as the CHGH were concerned.

Stephanie bit her lip. "I... is that the only way? You won't consider dad's offer at all?" She looked worried as her brow furrowed deeply.

Even with his empathic door locked, Evan could see Stephanie was worried. "Stephanie, is there a problem. You know, we are your friends. Just tell us. That's why we're all here." Evan spoke softly to his fellow student.

Stephanie let out a sigh. "See, dad and I haven't always gotten along. This is my chance to prove to him that... I'm _his_ daughter too. I know he borders on yellow journalism, I do. Maybe I can show him how exciting real news can be. Please? Give me a chance to prove to you I am _not_ my father." She was on the verge of tears, but she remained professional and stoic.

Adam rubbed his face with his palm. "I'm sorry, Stephanie. We are not opposed to helping you, but, we just can't risk being made fools of on live television. I know _you_ wouldn't do that, but your dad? I'm sorry, I _don't_ trust him. I will tell you this, you work with us on a program and it will be _so_ good, and legitimate, he won't be _able_ to ignore the ratings. " He laid a gentle hand on Stephanie's shoulder with confidence.

Stephanie's face contorted in deep thought, she then smiled. "Alright, we'll do it. We'll make the best program on the real paranormal ever made. If dad won't air it, as we make it, KWWL isn't the only station in the area. Thank you, so much. We will need to meet again, soon. Brie is going to be my assistant. She hasn't stopped researching the paranormal since the Island Park. She's even taking Doctor Reigns' intro class in the fall." Stephanie gave a bit of a laugh.

"That's good. Maybe you should as well. Tell you what, if your not busy next weekend, come to our Samoan pig roast. We can talk then about how we want to do this. Bring Brie too." Roman gave Stephanie a nod.

"That would be great, and I appreciate the invitation, but I was going to the festival with Brock, Brie and Daniel..." She bit her lip again, she was torn about what to do.

"Bring them along. There will be plenty of food and Seth does a killer fireworks to music. Can you guys bring some loaves of French bread?" Adam added to Roman's invitation. He also let out an external sigh, he'd forgotten about someone getting the bread.

"Thanks that would be great, but um... Evan... you..." Stephanie looked at Evan. She knew Brock and Evan had made peace, but they hadn't spent time together socially since.

Evan held up his left hand, his engagement ring glittered in the light. Stephanie grinned. "No, Steph, I don't mind, I couldn't be happier." Evan held Chris' hand tightly, Chris beamed with pride.

"Congratulations, Evan, you too Doctor Jericho. Great! We're gonna bust out the best show on television. Um... what about next weekend, where and when?" Stephanie had cheered up and was excited about the new idea.

"I'll text you or email you the time and directions. We're doing it on the beach down river a bit. Bring about six or seven loaves of bread." Adam said as they all stood up.

Stephanie bid everyone good bye. She gave Evan a hug and left the Olive Street house. Jason left as well, he had to get back on duty, plus he didn't want to get yelled at by Heath. Instead, he kissed his husband and headed back out to work.

"I feel bad for Steph. She's wanted to make up with her dad for a long time. It's deeper than she says. Vince blamed her for Shane's death." Evan spoke in a rather cryptic voice.

All eyes turned to the youngest team member. "Whoa, what?" Dean asked as he blew a puff of smoke out of the door that led to the backyard.

Evan sighed. "Brock told me about it, one night. He and Steph got into a really bad fight, and Brock got drunk. It was one of the times he wanted to talk, not hit..." Evan paused as Chris pulled him close. They were still seated at the table.

Seth stopped fiddling with the computers and joined Chris and Evan. Dean finished his cigarette and sat next to Seth. The others had gone up to the Reso's to make sandwiches, assembly line style.

When the College Hill Ghost Hunters were all settled in and eating their lunch, Evan continued. "...so anyway, Brock said Stephanie was trying to make up with her father, but he shoved Shane's death in her face, like he always did." He took a bite of his chicken salad sandwich.

"That's a horrible thing for a parent to do to their child. No wonder Stephanie was … a bit troubled when we first met her." Shawn gave a sad shake of his head with sip of iced tea.

Evan nodded in agreement. "I'll start at the beginning, or at least with what Brock told me. Shane McMahon was a senior at Cedar Falls High, big man on campus type. Quarterback, All American on the baseball team, star pitcher, perfect grades, headed for college to be pre-med student. From what I understand, he was a very nice guy as well. Never acted like the star of the school. Stephanie was a sophomore, and equally as popular as her brother. Shawn and Stephanie were going out to the Cross Roads Mall. A drunk driver pulled out in front of them and there was a terrible crash. Both Shane and Stephanie were unconscious. When the rescue squads arrived, they had to pull Stephanie out first, to get to Shane. See, their car was on its side, up against a tree, so Shane was trapped until they got Stephanie out..." Evan paused to take a sip of his tea.

Hunter suddenly smacked his forehead. "Of course, I remember hearing about that accident. The... no, you finish, Evan." He nodded to the younger man.

"According to Brock, they got Stephanie out, as they did, the other car burst into flames. It was attached to Shane's car by the twisted metal. The two cars blew up before they could get the fire out. Shane's car probably had a broken fuel line, because it happened so fast. Shane, the drunk driver and his wife were all killed instantly. Vince blamed Stephanie. He told her that they should have gotten Shane out first. Mrs. McMahon couldn't stand the way Vince treated Stephanie. It was the final straw in an already troubled marriage. They buried Shane, then split up. Steph went with her mom. That's why she says her father doesn't like her, but... well... now you know." Evan gave a small shrug as he finished his story.

"Poor kid. So now she has a chance to show her dad she can do a job, and we turn her down? I might have voted differently..." Heath let his words trail off as he got lost in thought.

"No." Adam shook his head. "I'll do what we agreed to, but no, Heath. We just can't risk live television. No matter what. She understands that. There is just one thing, I want understood. Keep what happened to me out of it." He looked at his team. A burning sadness filled his eyes as he spoke of the "incident."

"Oh Adam... I would never... absolutely. I would never ever show... that. That disc is locked away. I haven't even watched it …. it's just... there. I want to really focus on Roman's aura theory and now with some video of Evan to compare with, it will be great. We can use the Mandalay Case and the Island Park. I'll write Baron Dashwood to clear the Hellfire stuff. Don't worry it will be great!" Seth made the "OK" sign with his fingers and gave a wink.

The College Hill Ghost Hunters were gaining excitement at putting together a program or KWWL. Would it be a success or would Vince McMahon find a way to bring them down?


	37. Fun on the River

In the early pre-dawn, Saturday morning hours, Roman, Wade and Mark were digging a deep pit on the sandy "beach" of the Cedar River. They were about twenty-five miles down stream from Cedar Falls. The Ceder River was beautiful as it slowly flowed past the sounds of shovels grinding into the sand.

The property belonged to Jerry Lawler. The acre of ground ran from the top of a small rise, down to the Cedar River. Jerry kept the grass well mowed and a white picket fence encircled the property.

A large two room cabin with a screened in porch sat on the rise. There was no electricity or running water. The bathroom was an outhouse on the back corner of the lot.

Down the hill the ground levelled out. Jerry had a large, stone picnic table and a huge stone fire pit. The ground then gently sloped down to the shore. A wooden pier jutted out into the river. It made the perfect fishing/swimming spot.

Large trees dotted the property and beautiful flowers grew along the fence row. Birds called the trees home and a family of rabbits lived in the far corner opposite the outhouse.

For his computer controlled fireworks display later that night, Seth would use the generator in the CHGH command truck. They didn't have to worry about about being loud, the nearest neighbour was five miles further down river.

By the time the sun was fully awake, the pig pit was ready. Wade used his skills to light the fire in the pit. Roman worked at the picnic table. Roman had covered the table with newspaper. A large young pig lay on layers of butcher paper.

Roman prepared the pig to roast. First he rubbed the entire pig down with a thick layer of butter. Roman then rubbed the pig from snout to tail with a special blend of Samoan spices. Not even Roman knew what the recipe was. His cousin Dwayne, in Florida, made it and sent it out to only the closest family members.

The next step required some help from Mark. Mark held the pig while Roman put down several layers of huge banana leafs. Roman tightly wrapped the seasoned pig in the leafs. Mark followed with string to hold everything together.

Wade fed the fire with the bag of wet pecan shells Roman had brought. Hard maple, oak and apple wood had also been brought and added to the fire. The last thing Wade did was to lay the wire rack just above the heavily smoking wet wood and shell fire.

Together, Roman and Mark carried the banana leaf package to the fie. They carefully laid the pig on the rack.

Roman then shovelled hot coals from a second fire that had burned as they dug the pit, over the pig. The smoke that rose from the pit was so thick, it nearly blinded the Islander.

Together, the thee men then filled the pit back in with the sand they had removed. It was a long, difficult and dirty job. Later, the taste of the delicious meat would more than make up for all the effort.

"Now, she'll roast and smoke till tonight, then we will feast!" Roman said with an Island inspired growl and a thump of his fists against his chest.

Mark and Wade laughed. "I can't wait. You've bragged about this for over a year. Now, come on husband, let's wash up." Mark was in a good mood. He loved a hard job well done, his work ethic was unequalled.

All three men stripped naked and jumped off the pier into the cold water of he Cedar River. The three laughed and splashed like teenagers.

Thirty minutes later, the men were sitting on the pier, the mid-morning July sun soaking into their river chilled bones. Mark had a hard time keeping himself under control with his naked husband lying face down on the dock, sunning himself like a water nymph.

Roman smirked. "Want me to leave?" He asked in a teasing tone. He looked at Mark over the top of his sunglasses.

Mark chuckled. "Naw, I'll behave, but that is a beautiful sight." He winked at Roman.

Wade turned his head to look at Mark and Roman. "I have ears you know. Now grow up, both of you." He teased back. He liked the fact that Mark bragged about his body.

Both Mark and Roman laughed. "Yes, dear." Mark replied with a tousle to Wade's hair. He then sniffed the smoky air. "I already smell pig. Roman, is it entirely Samoan or Polynesian in general?" Mark asked as he began to put his clothes back on.

Roman slid his jeans over his muscular legs and rounded backside. "Well, the style of pig pit is Polynesian, but the rub spices are strictly Samoan. My cousin Dwayne grows the herbs and the banana trees. The seeds came from Samoa years ago, kind of like Wade's sage. No one is allowed in Dwayne's greenhouse. He says he's leaving it in his will to his son. I just hope the recipe is never lost. I had Jason's mom try to figure out what was in the spice rub. She could tell me a few things like pepper, salt, garlic and cumin, but the rest, she had no idea." He finished his explanation and pulled his tee shirt on.

Mark tapped Wade's shoulder. "Get dressed, hurry. Jerry and Bret are up. They are headed this way." He looked up at the cabin on the hill, their host was walking toward them.

Wade hastily dressed. He'd just gotten his shirt on when Jerry and his lover stepped out onto the pier.

"Good morning. Wow, it already smells great. You remember Bret Hart? Bret; Roman, Wade and Mark." He smiled as Bret shook hands with the ghost hunters.

"Good to see you again, Bret. It's been a while. How's Canada?" Roman asked politely as they walked up toward the cabin.

Bret Hart was a lawyer from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He and Jerry had a long distance relationship, but it was deep and loving. They got together whenever they could. Right now, Bret was on his usual month long, summer holiday.

"Cold and wet. I'm really enjoying all this sun. How is Adam?" Bret asked as they took seats in the lawn chairs in the front yard.

"He's good, thanks. He and the others should be here soon. How's the family? Things better?" Roman asked the Canadian.

Bret nodded. "Thanks to Adam, things are much better. What he did was wonderful. I'm hoping he can contact Owen again, just say hello." Bret's family of eleven brothers and sisters had been torn apart when their youngest brother Owen, had passed away. Adam had used his gift and spoke to Owen. It gave peace and comfort to Bret and his siblings.

"I'm sure he will be glad to do that. Well, speaking of, here comes the gang." Roman smiled as Adam pulled into the lane which led to a field where Jerry parked his car. Evan and Chris had ridden with Adam. Seth drove behind Adam in the command van and Hunter followed in his truck. The college students arrived last in Brock's car.

Wade, Mark, Roman, Jerry and Hunter helped unload the massive amounts of food containers, coolers and ice. Adam had a huge garden salad, Heath a fruit salad he carried in a watermelon basket and Evan had potato salad from Hy-Vee. Shawn had baked beans in a huge dutch oven, to hang over the fire. Chris brought drinks, and the four college students each brought two loaves of French bread. Wade had made four huge pans of frosted brownies for dessert to go with the homemade ice cream they would churn up later.

Everyone chattered at once as they hugged in greeting. Bret was introduced and Jerry organized things in the kitchen. Salads were kept cool in coolers and drinks were buried in ice.

There was the sound of another truck pulling into the lane. Bray and his boys had arrived. Luke unloaded Bray's rocking chair from the back of the truck and carried it to the yard where the lawn chairs were set up, under the shade of a huge oak tree.

Bray had broken his back as a child, and sometimes it acted up and the old rocking chair was the only thing he could stand to sit in. He'd even at times, taught classes from the chair. It was a Wyatt family heirloom. The family matriarch, Sister Abigail had first used it years ago when Brother Abraham made it for her.

Bray had to lean heavily on on Erick as he walked to the chair. His back was really acting up. Adam hurriedly made his mentor a cup of hot peppermint tea. Thankfully, Bret was a huge tea drinker and had fully stocked Jerry tea canister with a variety of teas.

Bray groaned as he sat. Adam handed Bray the cup of tea. "You should have stayed home Poppa Bray." Adam's brow was deeply furrowed. He sat on the ground at Bray's feet. When he was worried or troubled, he always called Bray, Poppa.

"No, I wanted to come. A few hours in the sun, then a swim, will help. Besides, no way was I going to miss this. I've heard too much about this roast pig. You go on now, enjoy yourself, the boys will see to me." Bray gave Adam a pat on the head. Adam smiled, nodded and got up to join his husband, he knew Bray was in excellent hands.

Roman and Adam sat on the dock, their bare feet dangled in the water. A young man with a full, mountain man type beard and long hair approached the couple. The man was Daniel Bryan, Brie Bella's boyfriend.

"Um, Professor can I bother you with business for a moment?" Daniel asked as he squat down next to Adam.

"Sure, Daniel. Please, we're not in class, I'm just Adam. Now, how can I help you?" Adam smiled at the young man.

"You know I'm a medical student. Well, I'm highly interested in how your psychic ability affects you, medically. I was asking Doctor Helmsley about it. He said he's done some research with you during investigations. He said he would let me see it, but I had to get your permission, Doctor/Patient issues. Would you mind if he let me see it?" Daniel asked with wide eyed curiosity.

Adam smiled. "I don't mind, Daniel. I'll tell Hunter it's alright. Say, they let you grow that? I mean that's some beard." Adam spoke in admiration. He could grow a beard like that too, but Roman wasn't too crazy about it.

Daniel laughed. "Thank you, Adam. I can't wait to see those medical reports..." he brushed his beard with his hand. "I only grow it in the summer. They don't like it during classes, especially lab. Brie likes it, so I grow it while I can. Well, I'll leave you now, thank you again." The young man stood and went to join his fellow students.

"I'm only thirty one years old, why do I feel so ancient around them?" Adam gave a wry chuckle and nodded toward the far end of the lower yard. Stephanie, Brock, Brie, Daniel, Evan and Heath were playing volley ball. Jason and Shawn were the refs.

Roman turned Adam's head gently with his finger tips. He gave his husband a long, slow burning, tongue tangling kiss. It left Adam breathless and his head spun, his heart banged in his chest.

"They can't do that." Roman gave Adam a wicked smirk and a coy wink.

"No, they can't. Why don't you go take a nap, babe. You've been up since three this morning." Adam looked up the hill. Mark and Wade were sleeping, side by side in chaise lounge chairs.

"Good idea. Oh, Bret hopes you can get in contact with Owen again. Why don't you do that now, while everyone is distracted. If I do fall asleep, wake me around four-thirty." Roman stood and helped Adam to his feet. They slipped back into their sneakers and went up the small rise to the upper yard. They held hands as they walked.

Roman went and stretched out in the hammock that hung between two massive oak trees. He was dozing almost before the hammock stopped moving.

Jerry and Hunter were in deep conversation off to the side. Bray talked softly to Luke and Erick who sat at his feet. Chris sat on the grass and watched the volley ball game. His little Evvy was doing very well against the seasoned athletes.

Bret sat on the porch steps, a folded newspaper in one hand, a pen in the other as he worked on the cross word puzzle. A cup of coffee sat on the step next to him.

Adam approached Bret. "It's not to hard today." He smiled as Bret looked at him.

"Hello, Adam. No, it's not, I've almost finished. Did you enjoy your trip overseas? London is one of my favorite places." He put the newspaper on the steps and removed his glasses. He indicated for Adam to sit on the long step next to him.

Adam sat next to the older lawyer. "It was very nice. I would love to go back. How's the family?" He asked with a warm smile.

"They are doing really well. When I was able to tell them about you, and finding out Owen was at peace, really helped." Bret gave Adam a warm, friendly smile.

"I'm glad to know it helped. It's what I always try to do. Roman said you hoped to hear from Owen again. I'd be glad to try, before things get crazy around here." Adam looked at Bret with a raised brow.

Bret's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. He had decided he wasn't going to ask, especially because of the holiday like occasion. "I would like that very much. I appreciate it. Should we go inside?" Bret stood coffee cup in hand.

Bret and Adam went into the large, airy cabin. There was one big room, divided into areas. There was a kitchen, with a wood fuel cooking stove, a few cabinets and a sink, with a well pump. Jerry kept ten gallon bottles of water on hand for cooking and washing as the well wasn't always running.

A huge stone fireplace took up the north wall and comfortable leather furniture filled in the room. A huge couch and two library style chairs decorated the room. It was sparse, but after all it was a simple weekend retreat.

A door on the east side of the room led to a small bedroom. It was just large enough for a queen sized bed and dresser of pine wood.

Jerry did have a desk, an antique roll top, where he could work. He sometimes came to the cabin when he had a long and difficult case. Kerosene lamps provided plenty of light, it was a cozy place.

Adam indicated for Bret to join him on the couch. "Did you bring his watch?" The psychic asked the lawyer. Last time, Adam had used Owen's watch to help make the spiritual connection.

Bret pulled a pocket watch from the small sub-pocket of his jeans. He removed the watch from its fob chain and reverently handed it to Adam.

"I'm never without it. When Oje is older, I'll give it to him. For now, I keep it." Bret referred to Owen's six year old son.

"That will be nice. Okay, give me a few minutes." Adam stated before he closed his eyes. Bret nodded, he remembered how it worked. Adam closed his eyes and focused on the watch in his hands.

It didn't take long. Owen Hart came forward like a misty light, as if he were waiting for Adam to speak to him. It didn't surprise Adam, he found out last time that Owen stayed very close to his brother. They were equally close in life as well. Bret was more of a father to Owen than a brother.

" _Hello Owen. Nice to see that you're still with your brother."_ Adam's mental voice was warm and welcoming.

Owen's spirit must have smiled, as the misty light grew brighter. The spirit spoke mentally to Adam. _"Hello Adam. I'll never leave him. Dad and mom watch over the kids, so I stay with Bret, he needs me. I have a message for him..."_ The voice and light fluctuated a bit. It always zapped the spirits energy.

Adam stretched out further and allowed Owen to use more of his energy to 'speak'. When Owen felt Adam's energy, he was able to continue.

" _Please, tell Bret, that the case he is working on... his client is lying. Tell Bret to look at the police report again. Tell Bret to drop the case, immediately. Please, oh please tell him."_ Owen's spirit nearly pushed Adam over with his insistence.

Adam spoke aloud. "I will Owen, right now." Adam opened his eyes. He looked at Bret and relayed Owen's message, word for careful word.

Bret's mouth fell open. Adam's gift still amazed him. "I was thinking about dropping the case. I've had a feeling he was lying, but I couldn't prove it. Can Owen tell me where, in the report?" His eyes burned in earnest anxiousness.

Neither Adam nor Bret had realized Jerry and Hunter had entered the cottage. Jerry had wanted to write down a few things about the contract for Vince McMahon. They stood still and quiet when they saw Adam was talking to Owen for Bret.

Adam gripped the watch. "I'll try, one moment." He closed his eyes again. Owen was still there. Adam asked Bret's question. He also sent out a bit more energy so Owen could reply.

Owen's spirit grew a bit brighter. _"Three years, three years, the other name, the other name."_ The light dimmed. Owen's spirit was so enthusiastic, it used a lot of energy.

"Three years, the other name." Adam repeated the words of Bret's brother. His eyes were still closed as he spoke to Bret.

Bret had pulled a small notebook from his shirt pocket. He wrote down' Owen's words. "Tell Owen, not to worry. I'll call my office, first thing in the morning and drop the case. I promise, Thank you, brother. How are mom and dad?" He asked as if Owen was simply on the phone.

Adam didn't have to relay Bret's words. Owen had heard them. _"They are fine. They keep watch over Martha and the children. Tell Jerry, I'm watching him too. Those two need to just... get married. Tell Bret I love him... love him... lo...ve..."_ Owen's spirit faded from Adam's mental connection. Owen knew it drained Adam to use his energy. He'd said all he'd wanted, so there was no need to drain the sweet, blond, psychic any further.

Adam laughed a bit as he opened his eyes. "He's gone, but he loves you. Your parents are fine, and are watching over Owen's family..." Adam paused, his eyes sparkled with mirth. He wasn't sure about giving Bret the rest of the message. Somethings were just private, Adam held out the watch for Bret to take.

"What is it? I know my brother, Adam. That look on your face, it's a mirror of Owen's. What did he say?" Bret's brow arched, so high it vanished under his gel curled bangs.

Adam bit his lip. "Well, remember, you asked. He basically said, you and Jerry should just get on with it and get married. He also said he's watching over Jerry as well. Your brother loves you very much." He smiled at Bret.

Bret laughed. "That's my little Oje. Thank you, Adam. I really appreciate you doing this for me. I know you won't take money. Can I donate to your favorite charity?" Bret asked, still unaware Jerry and Hunter were in the room.

Adam nodded. "Only if you want. You don't have to, Bret. I'm glad to help. That case sounded like trouble. But, if you want, donate to the animal shelter, they need angels too.

"I'll send a check tomorrow." Jerry stated as he finally made his presence known. Both Adam and Bret snapped their heads towards the sudden voice.

"Um... how long have you been standing here." Bret was flustered as he fumbled with the watch fob and chain. His high cheek bones were slightly flushed.

"Probably not long after you. We heard most of it. I'm glad about that case. You call tomorrow. Adam, we'll have McMahon down with iron clamps and don't worry, Hunter explained about Steph..." Jerry was halted when Hunter's name was screamed.

Hunter dashed outside. Heath was running up the small hill from the lower yard. "Bring your bag, hurry!" Heath turned and ran back down the hill.

Everyone heard the frantic call. It woke the Calaway's, and Roman from sound naps. Even Bray got up to see what had happened, supported by his boys.

Evan was lying motionless on the lush grass, his head in Chris' lap. Jericho was frantic as his eyes scanned for Hunter. Daniel Bryan was holding a cloth to Evan's forehead.

Hunter ran to the truck and grabbed his medical bag. When he arrived to where Evan lay, everyone tried to answer his question of what happened at the same time.

Shawn gave a short, shrill blast of the referee's whistle he had around his neck. Every grew quiet. The Preacher spoke. "Evan wasn't paying attention to where he was going. He went to make a return hit. He over reached, tripped, fell and hit his head on that." Shawn pointed to a tire rim. The poles for the volley ball net had been welded into a couple of old rims.

Daniel took over. "It's not a deep cut, a butterfly bandage will work, but you know how head wounds bleed. His vitals are fine." The young medical student was calm and spoke with confidence.

Hunter looked at Shawn, then at Chris. Shawn nodded. "Okay everyone, come on. Let them have some air. Chris come, let Hunter help Evan." He gave Chris a gentle tug on the arm. Numbly Chris let himself be led away, his eyes pinned on Evan.

Shawn sat Chris down at the picnic table. Shawn filled a large plastic cup with ice and took a can of root beer out of the cooler. Before he could pour the drink for Chris, Hunter called out to him.

"Shawn, I need my other bag. He needs a tetanus shot." Shawn gave a wave and trotted off to the truck.

Bray had sat down at the picnic table as well. He finished pouring his former lover's root beer. "Drink, you need it. Evan will be fine, Chris." Bray laid a gentle hand on Chris' shoulder.

Chris absentmindedly sipped the sweet drink. "He's just... so... pale.. I love him so much, Bray..." he muttered his words. His eyes never left the scene at the volley ball "court".

Shawn quickly returned and prepared the shot at the dosage Hunter called out. Hunter was applying disinfectant solution to the cut on Evan's forehead. The cut had stopped bleeding and Daniel has been right. It was not a deep cut. Evan began to stir.

"Chrissy?" Evan muttered as he tried to open his eyes. When they didn't open, he blinked a few times. "Hunter?" He looked at the Doctor who knelt next to him.

When Hunter asked Evan if he could remember what happened, the young man was able to tell him. Hunter made a small, neat bandage that held the cut closed. Evan gave a little whimper when Hunter gave him the shot.

Hunter, Shawn and Daniel helped Evan to his feet. Chris jumped up and ran to his fiancé. Evan assured his future husband that he was fine. Evan felt stupid for causing such a ruckus.

Later in the afternoon, all the lawn furniture and Bray's rocking chair were brought to the lower yard. Seth and Dean went back up to where they were working on the computer controlled fireworks display.

Shawn began directing the others to start bringing the food down to the table. Stephanie, Brie and Heath sliced the loaves of bread. They buttered the slices and wrapped the slices in foil with a garlic clove.

Roman had uncovered the pig pit. The smell of the roast pig filled the air. Every stomach rumbled with hunger. He tossed the packets of bread around the roasting pig.

"Give the bread about fifteen minutes. Mark, Wade, Brock, help me lift the pig." Roman called out to the three large men.

Evan wanted to help set the food and plates out, but Chris held him in his lap. "Please, baby boy, rest. No one expects you to help." Chris said with a kiss to Evan's temple.

Roman took two poles and put them through the rings of the chains that lay under the pig. Luke and Erick stood ready with a huge metal sheet pan. The pig would be lifted out and onto the sheet, then left to settle for half an hour. Then the feast could begin.

With grunts and groans of strain, the four men hefted the roast pig out of the pit. When it was placed on the tray, Erick and Luke's knees nearly buckled. They carefully carried the tray to the picnic table. When the pig was safely on the table, Roman sighed in relief. He thanked his helpers then spoke.

"First finger I see going near this pig, gets chopped off!" He spoke sternly as he brandished his Samoan carving knife. However, Roman's laughing eyes betrayed his seriousness.

While they waited, Jerry and Bret prepared the rock fire pit. It was a hot July day, but as the sun set, the air would grow cool because of the river.

The college students sat close to Chris and Evan. Evan smiled when he saw Wade approach the fire pit. He looked at his fellow students. "Watch this" He nodded toward the Wizard.

The mouths of the four students fell open, their eyes as wide as the paper plates on the table as they watched Wade. Wade had rubbed his hands together and lit the fire with the flame that extended from his left index finger.

Brock spoke in a whisper. "How the hell did he do that?" He looked at his own finger with a look of question.

Evan shrugged. "Even he doesn't know. His Uncle saved my life with his fire skills..." Evan then told about what had happened at the Hellfire Caves and William Regal saving his life.

When he finished, Stephanie spoke. "That's amazing. Did it get caught on video? If so we could put it in the program." She pulled a notebook out her backpack and in her own form of shorthand, wrote down the story Evan just told.

Chris spoke in a guarded tone. "Well, we'll have to see about that. William might not want it shown. We also have to get permission from Baron Dashwood to use footage from the Caves. This is the reason we have to be careful about how we put this thing together. People don't like being made fools of." He was rather stern, but he took this seriously. He didn't want Evan or Adam hurt by it.

"I understand, Doctor Jericho. Please, remember, I am _not_ my father. I am on your side. Evan, you know I wouldn't hurt you." Stephanie put the notebook away with a nod.

"If he tries to mess with you or this show, your dad will have to answer to me. I'll never be able to thank Professor Reigns enough for bringing my family together. My mom hasn't stopped smiling since the night of the party. I owe Professor Reigns." Brock Lesnar spoke firmly. Evan had never heard Brock talk so much at one time. It made him smile.

The bread was removed from the fire, the smell of garlic filled the air along with the smell of roast pig. Mouths watered as they watched Roman slowly unwrap the roast pig. The banana leaves dripped with juice. Roman would collect every drop he could.

"Alright, get your plates and form a line. Luke, get Bray's plate first, Bret you're next. The rest of you, duke it out. Jason, better get Seth and Dean." Roman ran his carving knife down the honing rod as he gave the instructions.

It took nearly thirty minutes for everyone one to be seated, ready to eat. Some sat around the picnic table, but most sat around the fire pit. Shawn gave a brief blessing, after a group "Amen" the feast began.

The only sounds that filled the air were the "Mmm's" as they ate. The roast pig nearly melted in their mouths. Even Daniel enjoyed it, he didn't usually eat meat, but this was a special occasion.

Hunter was the first stop eating long enough to speak. "Roman, this is... incredible. You could open a Samoan restaurant and serve nothing but this. You'd make a fortune." He was serious as he took a staggeringly large bite of the pork.

"I agree. Doctor Reigns, I want the recipe, my Frat brothers would kill for this." Brock spoke with his mouth full. Stephanie rolled her eyes at Brock's lack of manners.

Roman smirked. "Sorry, Brock. Family secret. Even I don't know what's in the rub. I'm glad you like it. My cousin Dwayne _does_ own a restaurant, he does very well, but no, it's not for me. I like torturing students too much. Miss Bella will soon find that out." He spoke proudly. The roast was good. Adam beamed proudly at his husband, with a bite of crispy, buttery, garlic bread.

"Everyone will probably get to take some roast pork home. I'd rather share it. You can freeze it, but you'll lose a lot of the flavor. Grandma always made a stew out of the left overs. A pig would feed us for a week." Roman related, then went back to eating.

"Good, Jimmy and Jey would kill me if I didn't bring them some. They wanted to come, but their girls insisted they go to their parents. Jey was very unhappy." Dean stopped stuffing his face long enough to speak.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure they get some. So, what about this television program?" Roman looked at Stephanie.

Stephanie swallowed. "I told father we're working on it. I didn't tell him about your not doing it live. With him, it's better to show him. I'll wait to tell him till we have something to show..." She paused and let out a sigh.

Stephanie continued. "Mister Lawler, it may sound terrible, from me, but I... well... make damn sure every possible loophole is closed. He can find a needle in a haystack. Like if you say, he or no member of his staff can make any changes, he'll just let a team of independent contractors do it... see, he or the staff won't have done it, but others will. It won't be easy..." She felt a bit guilty for speaking so ill of her father, but she was being honest.

Bret shook his head. "Oh, I know that type. Well, if anyone can seal up loopholes, Jerry can. This sounds interesting. I have a client that owns a television station in Calgary. Maybe he would be interested in airing the program. He took a bite of his meal and chewed.

Roman stopped eating. He looked at Bret with a crinkled brow. "I don't understand. How would that stop him from editing?" He looked from Bret to Jerry.

Jerry smiled. "This is why I love this man. Bret's right. We'll have to do a lot more paperwork, apply for a copyright but, it will be worth it..." Stephanie interrupted.

"Of course! In layman's terms. You would own the video package. That means no matter what, no one can change it or edit it in any way. You even control the commercial break spaces. You would be renting the program, see?" Stephanie's eyes reflected the enthusiasm her voice contained.

Bret gave Stephanie a nod. He was impressed. "Exactly right. Jerry is correct though. Obtaining a copyright can take time. I would also suggest that Seth join ASCAP, it will protect you even more. It only costs fifty dollars and he can join right from the computer." Bret took another bite.

Seth beamed. "I'm going to join! Imagine me, a member of ASCAP... er... what does ASCAP mean?" He wrinkled his nose in confusion.

"The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. You'd be considered a publisher of copyrighted works." Brock spoke matter of fact between bites.

Brock stopped eating and looked up when he felt everyone staring at him like he had three heads. Brock shrugged. "I may look like a dumb jock, but I do have brains." He belched, excused himself, then ate a huge bite of fruit salad.

"You're right, Brock. Thank you for explaining. Looks like our problem is getting solved. Now, lets plan and put together the best scientifically based program on the paranormal ever made! To the College Hill Ghost Hunters!" Seth raised his bottle of beer. The others raised their various drinks and repeated the toast.

After the wonderful dinner, Stephanie took over the clean up. Chris relented and let Evan help. Roman and Mark worked to clean out the pig pit. Luke and Erick pitched in as Bray stood with a lantern to light the area. It felt good on his back to stand for a while.

Seth, Dean and Jason went to put the final touches on the fireworks display. Shawn and Adam sat down with rolls of tin foil and divided the roast pork into "take away" packets. There was still enough left, along with bones for Adam, Heath and Shawn to make pots of stew or soup.

Wade and Heath were in the cabin preparing the dessert. Stephanie washed, Brie rinsed and Brock, Daniel and Bret dried while Jerry stacked the clean dishes and threw away the paper plates they had used.

Brock later surprised everyone again when he made a huge, delicious pot of camp fire coffee in the huge camp fire coffee pot Jerry had. By the time the coffee was brewed, all the clean up work had been done and the leftovers packed away in vehicles.

No one felt like churning ice cream after all the work, but it didn't matter. Wade's brownies stood on their own as he served them with the coffee.

Seth gave everyone some preliminary fireworks. They had sparklers, smoke bombs, roman candles and a variety of small fountains and novelty fireworks.

While the others occupied themselves, Seth supervised while Dean and Jason set up the main fireworks display on the fishing pier.

At ten o'clock, Seth was finally ready. "Okay, everyone, cross your fingers." He announced o the group. He had his laptop, ironically on his lap. He pushed the enter button and held his breath.

Music began to play from the speakers Dean had put in the lower branches of four tree trees, it was outdoor surround sound. It was a beautiful slow waltz. Seth took another deep breath, held it and pushed more buttons on his computer.

Beautiful showers of sparks began to "dance" to the music. For the next twenty minutes the music and fireworks built up to a cymbal crashing, exploding shower of billions of colors as the 1812 Overture came to an ending. There had been a few duds, and misfires, but for the most part the display was perfect. Chris, Roman and Hunter had caught it all on video.

Everyone cheered and applauded Seth and Dean. Seth was proud, he enjoyed entertaining his friends.

The evening ended with a sing a long around the fire. Brock, Wade and Chris played guitars and Daniel played along with a set of bongo drums.

The party ended at three in the morning. By five, everyone was home, safe in their beds. Vacation time was over. It was time to get back to work.


	38. A Sudden Storm

It didn't take long for a routine to establish itself for the College Hill Ghost Hunters. Those that worked at the University were deeply involved in getting ready for the fall term.

As Department Heads, Chris and Bray were hardly able to get out of their offices. Roman had a bit more free time, but he spent a lot of hours in the lab, working on his study of auras.

Adam enjoyed the challenge of having a second class to teach and running Roman's office. When Heath wasn't out on a temp job, he helped Adam. Heath could type a lot better and faster than Adam, and that made Roman happier.

Paul Heyman had given the CHGH permission to use the equipment in the Media Learning Center to work on the television special. Seth loved it, even though their time was limited to weekends.

Shawn was wonderful at putting Chris' historical research into words. He worked with Stephanie in writing narrations for the video Seth put together. At first, both Seth and Stephanie wanted Adam to do the narration and voice overs. He was good, but one day, when Adam was down with a migraine, Bray read for Adam. He was _wonderful_.

Bray's Louisiana accent gave a quality of mystery to the scripts Chris worked on with Shawn. Adam didn't mind at all, and was pleased when Bray agreed to take over the job. Bray found it a good way to relax and he enjoyed it.

Evan, Chris and Brock worked on putting music in the video at the right places. Chris let them use some of Fozzy's recordings; for free.

While the ghost hunters and college students worked on the television program, Jerry worked on the legal papers. Jerry buried himself in the work to keep himself from missing Bret, who had gone back to Calgary.

Bret and Jerry had discussed marriage, but Bret wasn't ready to close his practice and leave Canada, and Jerry didn't want to move either. They had an understanding that when they were ready, they would marry. In the mean time, they pined for each other.

Stephanie didn't talk much about her father, but one evening at the Media Learning Center, Brock told Evan, Vince was starting to demand an answer about the live show.

"Steph did what Doctor and Professor Reigns told her to do; blame them. He threatened to forget the whole idea if a decision wasn't reached soon. Steph says he won't, but, she's getting tired of his yelling." Brock spoke in a low voice. He was concerned for his girlfriend.

Seth and Bray were checking some rewrites while Adam and Roman worked on approving the video Seth wanted to use. Chris was under a pair of headphones listening to the music Evan and Brock had chosen for the rock explosion in the Hellfire Caves.

William had given his permission for them to use the footage as long as they didn't use his name or face. It was easy, his Wizard's robe hid his face. Baron Dashwood had also given permission as long as they gave the Hellfire Caves Web Site a thirty second mention at the end of the program.

Wade and Mark helped out by going back to Mandalay whenever they had a free evening. Neighbors had been reporting the sounds of piano music from the old house once in a while. Jason had even heard it one night after getting a call to check the old mansion. The CHGH hoped to capture the audio event to go along with the section about Lawthor Hall.

It was the first Saturday after the start of the fall semester. The most of team was working in the basement of the Olive Street house.

None of the college students were there, even Evan was up in his room working on his math homework. It was so complicated, he chased Chris down to the basement so he could concentrate better.

It was nearing one o'clock in the morning. Shawn and Hunter were saying good night. They felt guilty about leaving, but Shawn had to get some sleep before preaching in the morning.

Just as they opened the door to leave, Mark and Wade came in. "We got it, I hope!" Wade panted out his words. His eyes were wide with excitement. Mark was calmer, but his eyes gleamed with the pride of success.

"Gimme, gimme!" Seth held out his hands like a greedy child asking for candy.

Mark laughed and handed Seth the audio recorder and camera they had used. "We were at Lookout Park, at the bench, um.. looking at the river... when we heard the music. We got up as close as we could and hopefully picked it up." Mark explained to the others.

Jason snickered as he looked closely at Wade's neck. "Yeah, looking at the river? Nice hickies there Wade, did the vacuum cleaner get away from you?" He teased the Wizard with a wink and a smirk. He yelped when Heath whacked him on the back of the head; hard.

"Thank you, Heath." Mark replied with a grin. Wade blushed a bit and went to the laundry corner of the basement, he suddenly wondered if he needed a new bottle of detergent or fabric softener?

Jason had the decency to look sheepish. "I'm sorry guys, you know me, I have a big mouth. But... I'm lovable?"

"What matters is... you got it!" Seth was as giddy as a schoolboy as he removed his headset.

Wade came back to where the group was. Seth pushed play on the audio recorder. It took a few minutes, but soon the sound of a piano in the distance was heard.

"Great! I'm glad it worked. The video is of me holding the recorder as the music played. Hopefully you can use that to back up the audio proof." Wade explained to the others.

"That was smart. Great, I'll go check out the video." Seth said with a scratch of his chin. He started towards his computer.

"Well, it's late. See you all in church." Shawn spoke through a yawn. Hunter bid the gang goodnight as well. He and Shawn left for the short walk home down the alley.

Adam also yawned. "I'm done too. Seth, save it for tomorrow, okay?" He looked at Seth with a tired smile.

Seth's shoulders drooped. "Well, I guess you're right. Fresh eyes are best. Come on Dean, help me shut down." He looked over at his lover.

Jason, Heath, Adam and Roman said good night and went up to their respective apartments. Wade and Mark waited for Seth and Dean to leave so they could lock up the basement. Soon the Calaway's were cozy in their own apartment.

Chris smiled when he entered Evan's room. His fiancé had fallen asleep, pencil in hand, math work book open. Very gently Chris removed the pencil from Evan's grip. He picked Evan up and carried him to the bed. He tucked Evan in and kissed him. The boy never stirred. With a sigh, Chris left. He would be back in a few hours to pick Evan up for church.

Sunday after church, the College Hill Ghost Hunters were at the Happy Chef for the lunch buffet.

Shawn waited until everyone was seated at the huge table at the back of the restaurant. "Alright, I appreciate that you made the effort to come to church. However, it doesn't look good for me, when half of you fall asleep during my sermon." Shawn arched his brow and looked at Roman, Dean and Jason.

Mark laughed. "That would have been worth going to see. So, who were the guilty ones?" He took a bite of his fried chicken.

"They _know_ who they are. So, Adam, when are the kids coming?" Shawn gave Mark a wink.

Sometime this afternoon is all I know. It's going to be harder for them, now that classes have started. Brock will have football as well. Evan, are you joining us later?" Adam asked as he took a big bite of meatloaf.

Evan bit his lip. He looked at Chris, then Adam. "I really need to finish my homework. Do you mind?" He felt guilty for nothing helping with the video.

Adam smiled. "Of course not, Squirt. Your classes come first. Roman has papers to grade. As much as I want this television program to be good, CHGH is still secondary. Your education comes first, as do our jobs. We must never lose that." He spoke honestly as he surveyed his team.

"Adam is right, Evan. None of us want you to put CHGH over school, ever. You classes are so heavy you gave up cheer leading, put ghost hunting in the same perspective. So wipe that look off your face and eat your vegetables and drink your milk, you need the vitamins." Hunter spoke to Evan like a stern father, but it came from the love in his heart for their youngest member.

Evan laughed. "I'm _not_ a baby. Thanks, though, I feel a lot better now. I only have a couple of problems left. I tried to finish last night, but I fell asleep." He took a sip of his milk, and gave Hunter a wink.

"Oh that reminds me. I checked my calendar. Yes, the Sunday before Thanksgiving is open. You want me to book it?" Shawn looked from Evan to Chris.

Evan nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Please... oh well, Chris?" He looked at his fiancé with wide eyes.

Chris grinned. "Of course. Book it Shawn, our wedding will be November twentieth. Guess we have some plans to make." He gave Evan a wink.

"Not a lot. It will just be all of you, Steph, Brock, Brie and Daniel, my mom if she is up to the trip. Well, of course Bray and the boys too. I don't want a big wedding. I just want to share it with my family." Evan spoke with a soft smile on his lips. He looked at Chris with absolute love and adoration as his dark eyes filled with emotion.

"I agree, completely. So all of you, mark your calendars." Chris confirmed Evan's plans.

"We're honored to share the day with you. We'll have a reception at the house after. I insist." Adam gave a firm nod to the couple.

Evan beamed. "That would be nice. I guess all I really need to do is order a cake and a few flowers." He took a bite of chicken as his mind raced with thoughts.

Wade swallowed, then spoke. "Evan, um... I'd be honored to make your wedding cake, if you want. I guarantee you it will taste better, and it won't cost you a penny." He looked at the couple with a soft smile.

Chris spoke as Evan was too filled with emotion. "No Wade, we'd be the honored ones. Thank you very much. You... guys are the best friends a person could ever wish for." He looked at each member of the "family" with a warm smile and a kiss to Evan's hand.

By the time lunch was over, Evan and Chris had planned their wedding and reception. All Evan had left to do was invite Bray, his boys and Stephanie's foursome, and pick out the flowers.

Evan nearly floated up the stairs to his room when they returned to the Olive Street House. Chris left his fiancé to do his homework and joined the others on the front porch.

"I know, I should grade those papers and you all need to work in the basement, but, it's such a lovely afternoon." Roman sighed deeply. He sat on one of the porch swings with Adam's head on his shoulder. Roman slowly rocked the swing with his toe.

Chris stood on the steps and puffed on his new e-cigarette. It was his compromise with Evan, to try to cut back on regular cigarettes. He looked at his watch.

"I wonder where those kids are?" Chris looked at his watch again, then exhaled a thin line of smoke. Before anyone could answer, a long, black limousine came down the street. It stopped in front of 6152 Olive Street.

A man dressed in a full chauffeur's livery stepped out of the drivers side, he took a few steps and opened the back passenger door. The first person to exit the limo was Brock Lesnar, dressed in sharp, navy blue suit. He held out his hand and Stephanie stepped out in a pretty floral print dress that ended just above her knees. She looked up at the men on the porch.

"I'm sorry." She mouthed silently and stepped out of the way. Another man, in a gray Armani suit got out of the limo. He was tall and muscular. His salt and pepper hair was styled in a bit of a pompadour.

The man wore a stern expression as he adjusted his tie. The three people walked towards the house. Brock's face was like stone and Stephanie almost looked frightened.

Chris turned off his e-cigarette and stepped up onto the porch, out of the way. The three new arrivals stopped short of the steps. The College Hill Ghost Hunters sat up, like a pack of alert dogs and looked at the trio.

Stephanie gave Adam an apologetic look, as the leader of the ghost hunters stood and moved to the steps. "Hello Stephanie, Brock. You two look nice." Adam was polite, but guarded. He eyed the strange man, he knew who it was without a doubt.

"Professor Reigns, this is my father, Vincent Kennedy McMahon. Dad, this is Professor Adam Reigns, the leader of the College Hill Ghost Hunters." Stephanie introduced her father.

Adam came down two steps and offered Vince his hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Sir. Welcome to our home. Please, come have a seat. Would you like something to drink, coffee, iced tea?" He asked politely. Roman stood and offered McMahon a seat on the porch swing. As Vince moved up onto the porch, Adam introduced the other ghost hunters.

Vince sat down in the exact middle of the swing, it left no room for anyone else. Brock and Stephanie stood on the stop step.

Vince finally spoke. "No, thank you. Now, I want an answer. Are you going to do a live ghost hunt or not? Since my daughter can't seem to answer that simple question, I decided to ask myself." He voice was as commanding as his presence.

Heath was relieved that Jason was at work. "Stephanie can't answer you, because we haven't answered her." Heath spoke. He knew of the entire group, he was the best liar. It wasn't something to brag about, it was just a skill.

Stephanie couldn't stand it anymore. She would not see her new friends lie for her. She took Brock's hand. He squeezed it gently. Brock knew his girl and knew she was finally going to stand up to her old man. Brock was proud of her.

"No, Heath. I have come to love and respect all of you as friends. I won't have you lie for me..." She turned from Heath to her father. Stephanie took a deep breath and continued.

"They gave me answer, weeks ago. The answer is no, they won't do a live ghost hunt. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to let you down..." Stephanie paused when she saw her father's eyes narrow and his face redden. Vince started to speak.

"No, Sir. You let Stephanie finish what she has to say..." Brock spoke sternly to Vince. His voices was a bit high pitched and airy, a sure sign he was angry. He then turned to Stephanie. "Go ahead, honey. Now is your chance." With her, his voice was soft. He gave her hand another squeeze of encouragement.

Vince glared at Brock, but he looked at his child and waited expectantly. Stephanie looked at Adam. The Professor nodded with a smile.

"As I was saying dad, I did not want to let you down. Professor and Doctor Reigns along with everyone else came up with a compromise. We are working on putting together a television special, based on the scientific aspect of paranormal investigations. I was hoping we could finish it before we told you. Maybe I was wrong to put you off, but there it is. So?" Stephanie looked at her father and waited for a response.

Evan was unaware of the events going on, under the window where he sat at his desk, buried in a very difficult, advanced honors calculus problem. He jumped when he heard his name called. _"EVAN!"_

Evan sighed. "Chris babe, please. I have to finish this last problem. It's giving me a fit." He was a bit sharp, but he hated being disturbed. He thought Chris was out in the hallway.

 _"Evan!"_ The voice called out again. Evan's workbook suddenly flew off the table and landed on the floor with a thud. He thought Chris had come in the room and pushed the book to the floor, he couldn't believe Chris would do that. He spun in his chair, ready to yell at his fiancé, but there was no one there. The door to his room was still closed.

"Chris?" Evan asked the empty room. He stood and leaned over his desk and looked out the window. All he could see was the roof of the porch. The window was closed, because he had the small window mounted air conditioner on, in the other window.

 _"Evan!"_ The voice once again called out. It sounded like the person stood right next to him. Again Evan looked, but he was still alone in the room.

Evan gave a slight jump when the mechanical pencil he held in his fingers was slowly pulled from his grip. The pencil floated in air and landed on his desk, as if someone had put it down gently. The young man stared at the pencil, what was going on?

Evan closed his eyes, he looked at his empathic door, the locks had come open. Bray had warned him, that when his mind was overloaded, the locks could easily be broken. Evan figured who ever was calling, had taken advantage of the fact that he'd been lost working on his homework.

The empath, now aware of what happened, got himself under control. Whoever called him must really need help, so he decided to see what he could do. After all, it was the obligation of having the gift.

" _Alright, you have my attention. Who are you and what do you want?"_ Seth spoke with his mental voice.

" _I'm Shane, Shane McMahon. You were a year behind Steph in school. I am aware of who you are."_ Shane's voice was a clear as glass. In all his empathic awareness, Seth had never heard a voice so strong nor so clear.

" _Yes, I am. I was sorry to hear about your death. I'm sorry it happened, Shane. Is there something I can do for you?"_ Evan smiled both mentally and physically. He wished there was a way he could record Shane's empathic voice.

" _Yeah, I wasn't too happy about dying either, but, it was my time. My dad is downstairs. I stay with him, he can't let me go. So, I try to protect him, mostly from himself. Out loud_ _he blames Steph, but in reality, he blames himself. He wishes he'd have driven us that day. I wish you could help, but he would never listen, he hates psychics..."_ Shane's voice broke, he sounded sad, but resigned.

" _That's bad, about your dad. Maybe Adam could help, he has a way of dealing with nonbelievers. He's a really good person."_ Evan sat back down at his desk and closed his math book.

The voice of Shane McMahon sighed. _"Maybe, I'll try to put the idea in dad's head. Yes, I've heard a lot about all of you, from Stephanie. She talks to me, at night. I guess I'm like a diary. Of course, she doesn't realize, I hear every word she says. What I wanted was to tell you thank you, for working with my sister. She's being sincere about this. She needs to do this. So, you can trust her, completely. I have to go now, dad is leaving, thanks for listening to me. I'll work on Dad, maybe you and Adam can help. Oh and congratulations on getting married. I wish you happiness. And Evan, X is Pi squared."_ The voice of Shane McMahon laughed and faded off into the empathic void.

Evan hurriedly opened his workbook and laughed. "Thanks, Shane." He was able to quickly finished his work now that Shane had helped him. He rushed downstairs to be with Chris, and tell about Shane.

When Evan got down to the porch, Stephanie and Brock were sitting on one of the swings. Her head was in her hands, and Brock's muscled arm was around her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry. I tried to talk him out of coming here. He insisted. I guess I should have told him about everything. He doesn't mean it, about not showing the program. He knows any kind of paranormal shows have high ratings. But, be warned, he may very well carry out his threat to try to expose you as frauds. I'd be very careful and watch your backs." Stephanie spoke honestly with a lot of guilt in her voice.

Adam went to Stephanie and sat down next to her. "You are _not_ responsible for his actions. We _trust_ you. There are _other_ stations you know. Bret Hart may even have a station in Canada that would be interested. We've worked _too_ long and _too_ hard to stop now. Come on, kiddo, buck up. Wade made brownies." Adam gave the college student a pat on the shoulder.

Stephanie looked at Adam, then the others. They all expressed agreement with their leader. "Thanks, you guys are the best. Look, we'll go change and be right back. I have an idea about some of the Island Park data. Don't eat all the brownies! Come on, Brock. Let's hurry." Stephanie stood as did the others. She hugged Adam.

Stephanie and Brock walked rapidly toward the NIU campus. As soon as they were gone, Evan told the ghost hunters about Shane McMahon.

"... so... we'll see. Adam, he could so easily move things. And I swear, his voice was so clear, I've never heard a voice so plainly. I wish I could have recorded it, but how?" He gave Adam a puzzled look and a shrug.

Adam rubbed his bearded chin. "I have a theory. You said he stays with Vince, because Vince can't let him go. Vince is bitter and angry. That gives Shane a lot of energy to draw from. Do you feel any drain like you normally would?" He waited for Evan to answer.

Evan spoke. "Now that you mention it, no I don't. More proof anger is a powerful emotion for spirits to drawn on. I guess it depends on the spirit if that's good or bad. Anyway, I don't think we should tell Stephanie about Shane, not yet." He again looked at his mentor.

"No, we shouldn't. She has enough to deal with. I tell you, I like the way Brock has changed. He's a good kid. Well, we'd better get to work. We will have the brownies later. Islander, go grade your papers." Adam gave his husband a kiss.

Adam and the others were busy looking at the footage Mark had filmed of Wade getting the audio recording at Mandalay. They looked up when Roman came thumping down the basement stairs, papers and red pen in hand.

"I'll work, I promise, but I can't stand being up there, thinking about what's going on down here..." He paused, there was a knock at the basement door. He opened it and smiled when Stephanie and Brock came in.

"It's gonna storm, bad, look." Brock pointed to the black clouds in the southwestern sky. There was a streak of angry, reddish lightening, followed by a distant rumble of thunder.

"Seth, better turn on the radio..." Roman stated as he moved to let the students into the safety of the basement.

Just as Roman closed the door, Jason's cell phone rang. He went upstairs to answer where it was quieter. Seth turned on the radio they kept handy for storm reports.

" _... that's a tornado watch for Story, Grundy, Tama, Black Hawk, Bremer, Butler and Buchanan counties until nine o'clock this evening. A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect until five-thirty for northwestern Tama, southeastern Grundy and extreme southwestern Black Hawk counties. The severe storm is moving unusually slow to the north, north east. You are strongly advised to take shelter if you are in the path of this storm. I repeat, The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued..."_ Seth turned off the radio for the moment.

Hunter stood. "Get the lanterns, blankets and flashlights. Heath, Adam, Shawn, Mark, Wade, water and snacks. Dean come with me, we'll be right back." Hunter opened the door to the outside, Dean followed and closed the door behind him.

When Heath and the others went up, Evan and Chris along with Roman and Seth got the storm supplies from one the cave like sections of the basement. They were well prepared.

Jason came out of his and Heath's bedroom. He was dressed in his uniform. Heath hid is worry, as he hugged Jason.

"I know, you have to go. Be _careful_ , Daddy. Call when you can. I love you, Jason Reso." Heath's hands rested on Jason's shoulders.

"I will Gingersnap. I love you, Heath Reso." Jason's hands rested on Heath's hips. The couple shared a meaningful kiss.

When the kiss broke, Jason looked for his cap. He smiled, Adam held it as he stood by the back door. The two "brothers" hugged. Jason put on his cap and stepped out into the balmy, before a storm atmosphere, the air was heavy. How quickly the weather had changed.

They could hear the thunder getting louder and the wind had picked up. The sky was fairly dark. Cars drove with their lights on. The rain had not yet started to fall, but you could smell it in the wind.

All supplies were gathered. Heath was the last one down. Just as he hit the bottom step, the other door opened. Hunter and Dean had returned. Hunter had his medical bag and Dean carried a black nylon bag slung over his shoulder.

"All the windows at home are now closed. I wanted to get my bags, just in case." Hunter whispered softly over Shawn's lips as they kissed in reunion.

"I figured as much. Thank you for thinking of the windows. I wanted to air the house, it was such a beautiful day..." Shawn jumped when the loudest clap of thunder he'd heard in a while rumbled overhead.

Seth snapped on the radio. _"... the tornado is on the ground, confirmed by trained storm spotters. Grundy Center take cover immediately, Waterloo, Cedar Falls, North Cedar, Dunkerton and Waverly, take your tornado precautions now. The storm is unusual in its slow, almost non existent movement. However, it is moving, and is constantly changing directions. This is a dangerous, rogue storm. Stay sheltered until the all clear, it has gone over some areas up to three times..."_

The ghost hunters gathered in the far back part of the basement in the more cave like area. It was deeper and completely underground there were no windows for the storm to break.

Evan would have gotten under Chris' skin if he could. He tried not to act like a baby, but storms terrified him. He looked around at the others, they seemed so calm and normal.

Hunter, Dean, Seth, Heath and Brock played cards. They sat on a thick blanket with a lantern in the middle. Mark, Wade, Shawn and Stephanie were also on a blanket, a Scrabble game was in progress as another lantern lit their area.

Roman sat on a blanket, his back against the wall. His long hair was in a messy man bun. He wore his reading glasses. He'd pulled his knees up and used them as a desk. He was busily grading papers by lantern light.

Evan noticed Adam was so close to Roman, a hair wouldn't fit between them. He also noticed Adam was wide eyed and slightly pale. It made Evan feel a little better that his mentor was just as scared as he was.

Adam let out a bit of a scream when the basement door in the other half of the room blew open. A voice called out, "Hello?" Dean and Mark got up to check who had come in.

The blond calmed when he heard Mark's voice. "Come in, Bray, boys." Mark led the new arrivals in and Dean made sure the door was bolted shut.

Bray and his two boys looked like wind blown mountain men. It made them look even more dishevelled than usual. They sat on the blanket Shawn put down for them.

Bray gave a sigh of relief. "I tell ya, I wasn't sure we were gonna make it. I'm sorry we just landed on you but, the wind..." Bray paused and gratefully sipped the hot tea Shawn gave him. He swallowed the tea, then continued. "We were down at Jerry's fishing. We saw the storm coming and packed up, and headed back to town. It just about caught us. Your place was closest. So, here we are." Bray finished his story and smiled at Erick and Luke.

"You're welcome here anytime. I'm glad you're safe. You boys even been in a storm like this?" Roman asked as he looked up from his work. He put his arm around Adam as thunder cracked.

"Naw, Sir, not like dis. Dat wind shore does blow don't she?" Luke spoke, his southern, Cajun drawl was thick and heavy.

Roman nodded. "Well, they are saying this storm is a bit of a rogue. We're usually safe, but better to be secure down here. Right, Viking?"

Roman had learned to take Adam's fear of storms in stride. According to Judy, Adam had been afraid of storms since birth. Roman stopped grading the papers and cradled his husband in his arms.

Evan laid his head on Chris' shoulder, and held on to Jericho's strong arm. Chris smiled at Evan. "Now is your chance." He nodded toward Bray.

Evan's eyes lit up. "Bray? You, Erick and Luke need to keep Sunday, November twentieth open. That is, if you want to come to a wedding." He beamed so brightly Evan didn't hear the loud clap of thunder that made Adam duck under Roman's arm.

"Well, I swanee, ain't never been to a weddin' afore. Gonna have a fais do-do?" Luke asked with a laughing gleam in his eye.

Bray shook his head. "We'd love to come. I'm happy for both of you." He gave a warm, knowing look at Chris and smiled at Evan. Bray then turned to his boys.

"They don't speak Cajun, Chere..." Bray smiled softly at Luke, then Evan. "He asked if there would be a big party." Bray winked at Evan.

Evan told about the reception they had planned. Evan then moved closer to Bray. He spoke in a whisper and went on to tell about Shane McMahon. He didn't want Stephanie to hear his words. Besides, it kept his mind off the howling wind.

Bray nodded. "Adam is right. He had a lot of energy to draw from. Sounds like you need a bit more work on concentration. Can't have your locks opening during classes." He whispered in return.

"Yes, I will." Evan gave Bray a hug and moved back to be with Chris. He laid his head back on Chris' shoulder, as Chris pulled him close.

All the while, Seth had been listening to the radio with one ear bud. "There's another storm coming behind this one and maybe a third trying to form. This one now is no longer tornadic, but there are funnels around the second storm. Looks like we're in for a long, long night." Seth informed the group of the latest weather report.

Heath looked at his phone. "Oh Jay-Jay, I hope you're safe..." He sighed, then spoke again. "There are times I wish Jason had a different job."

Adam shook his head. "Wouldn't happen. He wanted to be a cop from almost the first moment I knew him. He'll be alright, sweetie." Adam winked at Heath.

Heath smiled. "You're right, he'd be miserable stuck in an office, or in a factory. Anyone hungry? I have sandwich stuff." All hands shot up in the air. Heath laughed and sent Roman, Mark and Brock upstairs to quickly grab the cold stuff from the fridge. He and Adam unpacked bread, chips and other things from the basket they had brought down earlier.

Stephanie suddenly got an idea and voiced it. "You know, that would be an interesting thing to add to the program. Just a few lines of non paranormal related information about yourselves. Adam, do you think Jason's mom would tell the story about his dad?" She had her notebook out. She'd been brain storming ideas for the television show, while the other storm raged overhead.

Adam rubbed his chin in thought. "You think? I thought we wanted to keep the focus on the paranormal. Wouldn't back stories take viewers out of the flow?"

"Not if you do it at the start. I mean you have to introduce yourselves to the viewers. Letting them know that you have real jobs, and other interests outside of the paranormal. It would help us relate better." Wade chimed in as he put the deck of cards back in its box while they ate.

"Exactly, Wade" Stephanie smiled at the Wizard. She was glad they all treated her like an adult and not a kid.

Adam nodded. "Well, if you think so, you're the expert. I'm sure Mom Carol would be glad to tell the story. I loved that day, I was only ten, but someone finally, really believed me..." Adam let out a squeal. It sounded like the house had blown up, the thunder that cracked was so loud.

The thumping feet of Roman, Mark and Brock hurrying down the stairs rivalled the thunder overhead. "Good fucking hell! Do you think it hit anything?" Roman asked with a heavy pant. His eyes were wide and his face pale.

Brock too looked he'd seen Death himself, and even Mark appeared to be unnerved. Stephanie went to her boyfriend and rubbed his back.

Roman sat the basket of food down on the card playing blanket. Mark took a deep breath. "I'm sure it did. I felt the hairs on my neck stand up. We've lost power too. I've never seen lightening that close..." he took another shaky breath..

"Looked like it struck Walnut Street. I'm glad we were all inside. Will you please make me a sandwich, honey?" Brock looked at Stephanie with a smile.

Steph nodded her head and joined Shawn, Adam and Chris who were already making sandwiches.

For the next two hours, the storms raged around Cedar Falls. A tornado struck the northwest side of town. It ripped up trees and injured campers in Black Hawk Park.

Seth had the radio on, but wore his ear bud. "Oh wow. They've cancelled classes for three days and closed all the public schools too. It's so they can check for structural damages. It's still storming, but it's been down graded to severe, no tornadoes. Street flooding in parts of town, and over in Waterloo. They are advising everyone to stay indoors until morning." Seth relayed the latest news.

"Well that settles it. Stephanie our couch pulls out, and you're welcome to it. Heath can you take Brock?" Adam looked at Heath, brow raised.

"You bet. It's a roll away bed, but it's double sized. Guess we can go up now." Heath replied and began to fold the blankets.

Bray and his boys were going to the farm. They had livestock to check on. It was raining, but the violent weather had moved on. Hugs and love were exchanged. When Bray and the boys were gone, everyone took a lantern or flashlight and went up to the Reso's apartment.

"I wish Jason would call." Heath looked at his cell phone again, as they gathered in the living room. He knew his head Jason was busy taking care of people in need, but in his heart he was worried.

"I'm sure he's swamped. The damage at the camp ground sounds really bad..." Seth was interrupted by a knock at the door. Heath got up to answer it.

"Bet Bray and the boys couldn't get through." Heath laughed and opened the front door. Heath paled and gripped the door to keep from falling.

Standing at the door was Chief of Police Anderson, and his aide, Officer Dustin Rhodes. The Chief spoke. " Heath... Jason is..." Heath fainted in a heap.


	39. Lost Souls

Adam was the first one to the fallen red head. At first he didn't notice the two officers who also knelt next to Heath. When Adam finally saw them, he fell on his ass.

Roman moved to Adam like lightening. Hunter had come to Heath's aid as Mark held a lantern.

"He fainted before I could even tell him." Chief Anderson followed as Hunter carried Heath to the couch in the living room.

"What is it Chief? What about Jason?" Shawn asked as calmly as he could.

Arne looked at Shawn. "He's... missing. We last heard from him six hours ago. He was heading to Black Hawk Park. He got there before fire and rescue. The tornado had gone through the main campground. They found his patrol car, upside down in a ditch... but... there has been no sign of him. He's not responding to his radio. We've got people looking for him, but the place is a mess. I _know_ we'll find him, but Heath has the right to know." The Chief finished with a sniff.

"Jaybird?... missing?..." Heath's voice cracked with emotion. He had awoken as the Chief explained about Jason.

"We're looking, Heath. He's probably helping people and doesn't realize we are looking for him." Anderson laid his hand on Heath's shoulder.

"What can we do to help, Chief. We are all able bodied men. I'm sure Hunter will be needed." Roman spoke firmly as he glanced over at the physician. Hunter was on his cell phone. He'd finally be able to get through to the hospital.

The Chief looked at Roman. "We could use the help. Go to the Visitor's Check In at the park, Fire Chief Long is arranging things. Tell him _I_ sent you. Heath, we _will_ find him, Jason is a great officer... he will be fine." The Chief spoke with more confidence than he had. There had been a lot of blood on the seat of Jason's patrol car. Heath didn't need to know that... yet.

He and Officer Rhodes bid the group farewell and left to get back to the park.

Hunter ended his call. "I told them I could do more on scene. Assess and send the worst injuries first. Everyone grab a flashlight, rain gear and let's go." Hunter issued the orders as he headed to the basement to get his bags.

"Stephanie, will you stay here with Heath?" Shawn asked as he looked at the distraught red head.

"No! I'm going and you _aren't_ going to stop me. My husband is out there and I am going to fucking find him. Now, lets go!" Heath's eyes blazed with fire and his face was like the thunder that rolled overhead.

Shawn held up his hands. "Let's go."

Wade returned, he'd gone upstairs to grab his and Mark's rain coats. He also grabbed one for Evan. Roman dashed up to get his and Adam's rain gear. The others went down to the basement.

Hunter had run down the alley to get their truck. He and Dean loaded Hunter's medical totes into the truck. Wade and Mark pulled out the black SUV's and everyone loaded up. Nerves were on edge.

Adam sat next to Heath and held him close. "We will find him. You know Jay, it's like the Chief said, he's probably helping people."

Heath sniffed. "I don't... I _always_ feel him. Adam, I don't feel him. He wouldn't forget to call me..." he sniffed again. His head on Adam's shoulder. He tried not to cry.

"Adam, can you... find him? Remember how you found me?" Wade spoke over his shoulder. It was hard driving. Tree limbs, power lines, high water and other debris slowed the three vehicles down to a crawl in some places.

Heath looked at Adam, he looked like the saddest puppy ever created. "Find him, Adam. I know you can. Please, Adam, Please!" Heath let the fresh tears fall. Adam held Heath close and rested his chin on top of Heath's head.

"I'll try, I'll try..." he let his voice fade. The closer the person was to him, the harder it was for Adam. The wall of emotion sometimes blocked him. It didn't help that his grandmother wasn't answering his calls.

Heath's cell phone sudden rang. He fumbled in his pocket, finally grabbed it and pushed the green button. "Jay?" He almost screamed into the phone. His shoulders fell, it wasn't his husband, it was his mother-in-law.

Heath put the cell on speaker. _"Heath? What's wrong? Judy and I were watching the news. It showed the tornado and the damage. We wanted to make sure you boys were alright. Heath?..."_ Carol's voice went from a bit worried to a lot worried.

Carol and Judy had gone on one last trip before they came back to the "real world." They had gone to Florida to spend two weeks at Disney World.

Heath looked at Adam. His eyes were filled with question, should he tell her or not. Adam decided to speak. "We haven't heard from Jason in a while, Mom Carol. He got called out before the storms hit. He's probably wearing himself out. Black Hawk Park was hit hard. Hunter is going there to help with the triage. It was pretty intense, but we are all alright. A few things to clean up in the yard, maybe fix a few shingles. So you two don't worry. How's Ma?" Adam did a good job at sounding casual, or at least he hoped so.

" _She's fine, honey. She's down at the bookstore in the lobby, like son, like mother. Heath, sweetheart, Jay will be alright. You call me when you hear from him. I love you boys."_ Carol was placated. She was sure her son was simply involved with helping people.

Heath, Carol and Adam said good bye and Heath ended the call. "Thanks, Addy. No point in getting mom all worried. Oh please... let Jason be alright. I love him, Adam" He curled back into Adam. Adam once again held Heath close.

Adam looked at Roman with fear filled eyes. Adam moved his words over Heath's head. "I can't sense Jason. Grandmother isn't answering." His own eyes filled with tears.

Roman understood. He know some psychic's had blocks when it came to "speaking" to family or friends. Adam's grandmother as a spirit guide was an exception. He reached over the seat and caressed Adam's cheek.

Adam leaned into Roman's touch. Chris, Evan, Dean and Seth watched with sad compassion.

In their truck, Shawn constantly prayed for Jason and all the others injured in the tornado.

When the vehicles pulled into the entrance to Black Hawk Park, they were stopped by the police. Hunter explained who they were and that Chief Anderson was expecting them. They were waved through immediately.

The pulled up to the area where victims were being treated. There was a line of ambulances from Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Elk Run Heights and other small communities who had not been affected by the tornado.

Hunter and Shawn grabbed the medical equipment. The first person Hunter stopped to access was a little boy with an obviously broke leg. The EMT in charge was relieved to see Doctor Helmsley, maybe now things would start to happen. Without a Doctor, triage had been nearly impossible.

Chief Anderson and Officer Rhodes were looking at a map, spread across the hood of the Chief's car. He was assigning men to areas to be searched.

The ghost hunters, who were now search and rescue workers approached the harried Chief. "Oh good, you're here. Adam... we need your skills... Yes, I know but... a child is missing. Will you help?" The Chief was to the point of not caring what others thought about him calling upon a psychic for help.

"Of course I will. I'd hoped to find Jason, but I have a better idea. I'll need something of the boys, if you have it." Adam said quickly then turned to Evan. He pulled the empath to him.

"Evan, I'm too close to Jason. You'll need to be the one to find him. I'm counting on you. You can do it. Use Heath's wedding ring. It will have the strongest connection. You can do this." Adam spoke firmly and his eyes burned into Evan's.

"Count on me, Adam. I won't let Heath or you down. I promise. You find the child, leave Jason to me." Evan spoke with all confidence.

"Heath, Evan is going to find Jason. I... I... can't... he's too close. Just trust him, Heath, he can do it." Adam looked firmly at Heath.

Heath's gaze went from Adam to Evan. He trusted Adam, if he said Evan could do it, then he could. "Alright. Find that child, it's what Jason would want. Go Adam" Heath gave Adam a hug.

Adam went to Chief Anderson. The Chief held something as he spoke. "We have this, his father... had it in his hand when we found him. He said the storm came faster than he thought it would. They were getting ready to leave for the shelter when the tornado hit, it blew their camper over. The dad said the boy just vanished from his grip. It was the boys." The Chief explained as he handed Adam a tattered teddy bear.

Adm used psychometry in a different way from Evan. Evan, through his empathy picked on the "soul" of an item or building. He could learn the entire history of something. Like how that rocking chair had been made to the lady who had sat in it.

Adam's skills at psychometry gave him feelings about the owner of the item. Sometimes, if he stretched his psychic ability, he could "see" where a person was, dead or alive. It depend on how strong the connection was between the person and the item. A teddy bear would have a strong connection, at least he hoped so.

"This is good. Okay, Roman, Mark and Wade, stay with me. Dean, Seth and of course Chris go with Evan and Heath. And guys, don't come back without Jason, no matter what." Adam's hazel eyes burned with determination as the two groups split up.

Heath gave Evan his wedding ring. Evan and Adam went to quiet areas to concentrate. While the two gifted men worked, Chief Anderson gave the two teams some equipment.

"Each group take a radio. These will be better flashlights for you. Be careful, there are a lot of downed trees and don't forget that bluff over the river, comes up pretty damn fast, and a lot of the warning signs are gone. These maps will help... a little, the whole complexion of this place has changed.

Brock and Stephanie watched from the sideline. They felt a bit left out, but then again, they weren't really members of the College Hill Ghost Hunters. Maybe they could help Hunter and Shawn. Stephanie suddenly let out a groan. A KWWL news crew pulled up near by.

"Not those two." Stephanie nearly growled as the news truck began to set up for a live report.

"What two?" Brock asked in a curious voice. He put his arm around Stephanie when he saw how upset she was.

"Michael Cole and his producer, Jim Cornette. There is nothing they won't do to get a story. They are worse than slime. We can't let them get a bead on what Adam and Evan are doing. They will tear them apart, especially if dad told them anything about today." Stephanie was thoughtful for a moment.

"They couldn't have know Adam would be here, hon. But you're right, they can't find out." Brock said firmly. He bulked himself up, Stephanie had started for the news truck.

Adam held the teddy bear in his arms. His eyes were closed tight. He stretched his mind until he began to see a fuzzy, dim light. He heard the sounds of a child, trying to not to cry. He stretched his mind further that he'd done in a long time. He could see the faint shadow of a little boy. He also had a strong sense to go south. He opened his eyes.

"Let's go." Adam said hurriedly and moved off into the darkness. He still clutched the teddy bear in his arms. Roman, Mark and Wade followed. Their bright rescue lights flooded the ground in front of them.

Evan held Heath's wedding ring in his right hand. As he opened his locked mind, he focused on the metal in his hand. His mind flashed to a piece of gold being drawn out of a mine... then being cleaned and refined... struck by a jeweller's tool... placed in a box... in a store... being chosen... slipped onto Heath's finger... a bright flash... Jason being thrown out of the police car... Jason trying to call... Jason... falling into darkness... the splash of water... he knew he couldn't say anything, not yet.

"Come on, I might know where to go." Evan said to the four men watching him.

"Jason?" Heath asked as his eyes widened with even more worry, Evan had gone rather pale.

"I don't know, Heath. I just might know where to look." Evan stepped off into the darkness like his mentor before him. The same kind of strong rescue lights lit their way.

Chief Anderson watched with hope and the two groups started off. He then growled, why was there a news crew coming towards him. He'd told his men not to let the media into Black Hawk Park.

"Chief! Chief!" Michael Cole called out as a camera man followed him, camera and light blazing. Stephanie and Brock followed. Jim Cornette was on his cell phone back at the satellite truck.

Officer Dustin Rhodes stepped in front of his Chief. "How did you get in here? Get out! No media allowed in the park! The Chief will make a statement later, leave or you will be arrested!" He barked his words and held his hands out to block the reporter.

Cole gave a smirk. "We just drove right in. Doesn't speak well of the the authority of the Chief now does it? Now, give me five minutes with the Chief and we'll leave. If not..." He let his unspoken threat hang in the air, like the smell of the broken pine trees around them.

Chief Anderson laid a hand on Dustin's shoulder. The younger Officer stepped out of the way. "Chief, care to tell us why we just saw a psychic medium here? Have you resorted to giving credence to charlatans now?" Cole asked with a raised brow as he stuck the microphone in Anderson's face.

The Chief smiled. Thanks to something unexpected, he knew just how to answer. "No, I have not. They are here for a different reason. That reminds me, we know many of you fine citizens want to help. We will need parties to help with clean up. Those announcements will be made in the next few days. Also, please, if you can, donate blood. The Blood Bank at Sartori Hospital is open and they need donations. Further statements will be forthcoming." He was firm in his words.

Stephanie smirked. The Chief had gotten her text message. She had quickly sent the Chief a text suggesting how he should respond. Cole would not be able to make anything out of asking the public for help. If he did, Cole knew it would make him look bad. Brock gave his girl a wink and a smile.

Cole nearly stammered, there was nothing he could say to that. "I'm sure the good citizens of the area will respond quickly. Thank you for your time, Chief Anderson." Cole signalled for the camera to be turned off. This was a waste of time. He'd have to think of something else. Maybe he could trail the paranormal groups.

"Don't think you can avoid this, Chief. I'll find out what's going on here, and I'll make your Department..." Once again Cole stopped just short of incriminating himself.

Chief Anderson snapped his fingers. Officer Rhodes and four other members of the force stepped forward. "You can leave now, and wait with the others, or you can go to jail for trespassing, interfering with the police and other charges, and miss the story all together. It's up to you, Mister Cole." Chief Anderson's eyes narrowed at the reporter.

Adam stopped and stretched his mind again. The image of the little boy was growing stronger and was less misty. He knew that meant they were getting closer. Adam could tell the boy was talking, probably trying to calm himself.

"He's getting closer. I don't think it's too far now." Adam informed Roman, Mark and Wade of his vision.

Roman directed his beam of light around the area. "Be careful, I think we're close to the bluff." The Islander warned the others.

Adam his crew quickly spun on their heels. A group of flashlights were moving towards them.. Evan and his team came into view. Adam and his team were surprised.

"What are you doing here?" Adam asked his fellow psychic. Why would Evan come to the exact same spot?

"It's just the feeling I had... are we anywhere near a drop off?" Evan spoke quietly to Adam. The others were busy as they shone their lights, and looked for possible clues.

"I've read the boy. He's alive and like you, I was lead...wait! Wait!" Adam grew excited. His excitement drew the others to him.

Heath looked at Adam and Evan. "Jay? Do you... read him?" He was filled with wide eyed hope.

Adam put one hand on Heath's shoulder and held the bear in the other. "No, but Evan was led here. There has to be a reason. What if Jay is with the boy. You know him, if anyone, especially a child was in trouble, he'd do all he could to help. The boy isn't scared, what does that mean to you?" He looked at Evan like a Professor as he questioned his student.

Evan's eyes lit up. "He's not alone! Adam he must be with Jason. Look..." Evan pulled Adam in closer and told him his entire vision, with Jason going over a bluff and hearing a splash of water.

Adam subconsciously clutched the teddy bear to his chest. Roman noticed and was by Adam's side in a flash. While Adam and Evan spoke to Roman, Mark looked at his husband.

Wade stood alone, his flashlight dangled in his hand. Even in the near darkness, Mark could see how pale his husband was and he thought Wade trembled as he stood. Mark slowly approached Wade.

Mark reached out and in almost slow motion, laid his hand on Wade's shoulder. He spoke softly, like he was trying to calm an injured wild animal. "Baby, you are alright. Nothing is going to happen to you. You're thinking about..." He didn't finish before Wade spoke.

"I... laid there... I was hurting, cold, frightened they would return and kill me. Oh Mark, I was so scared. All I could think of was being safe, in your arms, but I also feared you would reject me as damaged goods. Jason could be feeling the same, not... raped, but the cold, lonely fear that he will never see or make love to Heath again. Mark, it's the worst feeling in the world... the... worst." Wade's dark eyes filled with tears, his lip quivered as he looked at his husband.

Mark pulled Wade into his arms. "I'm here, baby. No matter what happens, I will always find you. We _will_ find Jason. I love you, my Wizard of fire." Mark gave Wade a kiss that told Wade he would always be safe and loved; always. It was the greatest feeling in the world... the greatest.

As Mark gently rocked Wade in his arms, Wade's flashlight scanned the ground. Mark noticed something. He gently moved Wade a bit and honed his beam on the spot he'd seen. "Over here! Come look!" He called out to the others with renewed excitement.

Heath got there first, followed by the others. "What is it? What?" Heath was between hysterics and hope as he looked at Mark.

Mark trained his light on the ground a few feet ahead. They could see where dirt had recently broke off the edge of the bluff that went about twenty five feet to the river below. It looked like someone had tried to hang on to a small tree, but the tree had broken. The dirt was fresh with scrape marks. Mark's beam then caught a gleam of something shiny. Heath started for the object. Mark grabbed the red head.

"Stop, Heath. We don't know how stable that ground is." Mark took the rope the Chief had given him from the loop of his belt.

Mark tied the rope around his waist. "Take this, Roman." He'd looped the other end of the rope around the trunk of a broken pine tree. He wanted a strong man holding the rope as well, just in case. "Shine your lights, all of you." Mark ordered as he got down on his hands and knees.

Wade watched nervously as Mark slowly crawled toward the edge of the bluff. Adam held Heath, one arm around Heath's waist, the other around the teddy bear. Heath helped light Mark's way with a slightly shaky hand.

Mark got to the metal object that had caught his eye. It was a name bar. It read Sgt. J. Reso. "He was here, it's Jason's!" Mark exclaimed as he carefully crawled back away from the edge of the bluff. When he was back far enough, he stood with a grunt and went to the group. He held the name bar in his hand.

Heath reached out and took the broken bar with his shaky fingers. He was hit with agonizing grief. " _JASON!_ " he wailed at the top of his lungs, then fell to his knees and sobbed into his hands. Adam knelt down and took Heath in his arms, the teddy bear forgotten, and sobbed with Heath.

Chris thought he heard something, he cocked his head. _"Help us!"_ Was barely audible over the light rainfall, distant sounds of chainsaws, sirens and the closer sobs.

"Shh... listen!" Chris whispered harshly through his teeth. He held a finger up and pointed.

 _"Help us!"_ The faint voice called out again. Heath raised his head, he'd know that voice anywhere.

Mark barley caught Heath this time before he got to the dangerous loose ground. Heath cried out. "JASON? WILLIAM JASON RESO!"

"Heath! Help! Can't climb out!" Jason's distant voice called back. His voice was hoarse, but he sounded... alive!

"We're here, all of us. We'll get you out. Is there a boy with you? Are you hurt?" Heath shouted, his hand cupped over his mouth to increase his volume.

"Yes, Bobby Rodgers. He's got a busted arm. I'm beat up, but alive. Hurry, the river is rising!" Jason called back up to his anxious spouse and friends.

"We'll get you out, Jaybird. Just hang on!" Heath called out to his husband. Heath turned to the group. "What do we do?" He looked ready to jump over the bluff.

"Evan, you are the smallest. Tie the rope around your waist, crawl to the edge and see what you can. I'll call the Chief. Hurry!" Mark took control. He pulled the police radio off his belt. Mark told Chief Anderson to stand by and get a rescue team on the way, with plenty of rope.

Chris watched with nervous pride as Evan crawled toward the edge of the bluff. Roman and Wade held the rope that kept Evan from falling. Evan leaned over the edge of the unstable ground and looked, then began to crawl backwards.

Evan slowly made his way back to the group. "They are on a ledge, a narrow one. He's right, the river is rising; fast. It will sweep them away. Two ropes will reach them" He slipped the rope from around his waist. Evan then went into Chris' waiting arms.

Mark took a second rope and looped it through the first one. With great caution, he got close to the edge and tossed the rope over the side. He tied the other end around the tree.

"Jason, hang on to the rope, but do not try to climb. Rescue is on the way, understand?" Mark shouted down at Jason and waited for a reply.

It took a few minutes, but Jason finally responded. "Okay. Just hurry, it's rising faster. I don't feel like going for a swim!" Jason called back up.

Adam and Heath were in Roman's strong arms. Chris held Evan. Dean and Seth kept their flashlights on the rope as it vanished over the bluff. Wade and Mark held onto the end of the rope.

It seemed like hours, but was really only a few minutes until the rescue team along with Chief Anderson, Officer Rhodes, Brock, Stephanie, and Bobby's father came into view.

Stephanie joined Adam, Heath and Roman. Brock went to help Mark and Wade. Stephanie picked up the forgotten teddy bear and held it. The bear was drenched, but it would eventually dry out.

"Look, you need to be warned. One of dad's news crews got through somehow. They knew you were involved. Michael Cole is the reporter. He already tried to smear you, but the Chief ignored him. He told Cole about the blood drive instead. Cole had to back off. I wouldn't put it past Cole and his field producer, Jim Cornette to be lurking around somewhere close. I guess it's dad's way of revenge. They just got lucky you were here. Cole is nasty, be careful." She wasn't sure if Adam or Heath heard her, but Roman did. He looked at the young girl.

"Thanks for the warning. Cole... Cole... he's the one that did the story on that Waterloo Police Officer. I think we're going to have look over our shoulders." Roman's attention was diverted.

"Hurry! The river is..." the words of the rescue worker were halted, the ropes of the rescue workers on the upper ground suddenly went slack. There was a flurry of activity and frantic shouts.

"Jason! Jaybird!" Adam and Heath cried out at the same time. Both men turned into Roman and shook as silent tears fell. Roman held them both close. Stephanie put her arms around Roman's waist from behind. Evan buried his head in the crook of Chris' neck. Seth clung to Dean. Every eye was glued on the bluff.

Bobby's father sobbed as he knelt on the ground. Officer Rhodes had a hand on the man's shoulder. Chief Anderson constantly stroked his short beard and chewed on an unlit cigar.

In another span of time that seemed to move one second forward and four back, the action was in mind numbing slow motion. Finally things began to speed up. The first rescue worker's head popped up into view. Harnessed to his body was little Bobby Rodgers.

Hunter and Shawn arrived with two EMT's. They took the little boy to a waiting stretcher. Bobby's father couldn't move fast enough as he got to his feet. Father and son were reunited as they hugged each other. There were smiles of happiness all around.

All the attention was focused on the joyous reunion. It took Heath a moment to feel the tap on his shoulder. When Heath finally looked, he let out a gasp.

"Hey Gingersnap!" Jason spoke with a dirty faced smile. He was dishevelled, battered and bruised. There was dried blood around his nose, and a cut on his cheek but he was alive!

"Daddy!" Heath cried out and fell into Jason's arms. This time Heath's tears were tears of joy. He very gently kissed Jason's battered face.

Adam waited, but as soon as he could, he got his arms around Jason and hugged him. The two best friends exchanged a look that said no words needed to be spoken.

"Come on, I want to check on Bobby. That kid is a real trooper. He kept _me_ calm." Jason said, his arm around Heath's waist. As they walked, the other ghost hunters all hugged Jason.

Jason finally got to the stretcher. Bobby was leaning against his dad as Hunter cleaned the boy's cuts and scrapes. Hunter had put the boy's arm in a tight sling. Bobby smiled when he saw Jason.

"Jay-Jay!" Bobby squealed as Jason patted him gently on the head. The boy laughed when Adam approached and waved the wet, dirty teddy bear at Bobby. "Mister Bo Bo!" He took the bear from Adam, he didn't care about it being wet.

Jason began to explain what had happened. "The wind blew my car into the ditch. I got banged up, but when I realized I could move, I crawled out of the patrol unit. All my radios were damaged and my cell phone got busted. Anyway, I heard Mister Rodgers calling for Bobby. Bobby later told me he thought his daddy was dead, so he got scared and ran. I started looking. I heard Bobby yelling for help. He'd gotten too close to the edge and the bank gave way. He managed to grab a scrub pine and held on. When I got there, I laid down and tried to bring him up. Suddenly the branch broke, more ground gave way and down we both went. Thank God we landed on the sand ledge. We were knocked breathless, and his arm was broken, but we lived. I could see there was no way we could climb out. So we called for help. Bobby kept me laughing with stories about Mister Bo Bo. I started to get worried when I noticed the Cedar was rising. When I heard Heath scream my name, it was like an angel. When the guys from the rescue team got us harnessed, the sand ledge gave way. But now, here we are, safe and sound. I'll tell you though, for a moment... Adam, thanks for finding me." Jason finished his story with a wink to his "brother".

Adam shook his head. "No, Jay, Evan found you, not me. I worked on finding Bobby. I knew, I'd be too close to you, unable to break through the emotional barrier. So thank the Squirt." He gave a nod to Evan with a grin.

Evan blushed a bit. "Oh, Heath, here." He held Heath's wedding band out to the happy red head.

Jason took the ring before Heath could. "Thank you, Evan. I meant it. We wouldn't have... thanks." He gave the young empath a hug. Jason slipped Heath's wedding band back on his husband's finger. Jason pulled Heath in for a proper kiss. Everyone gave a cheer.

Bobby's dad stepped up to Adam. "I don't really understand what you did. Chief tried to explain it. I don't really _care_ how you did but, thank you, Mister Reigns. My boy is alive because of you. I will never be able to thank you enough." He held out his hand and Adam shook it warmly.

"It's Adam. I'm glad I could help, and that Bobby and Jay are safe. You take care, Sir." Adam gave the man's hand another shake. The EMT's were taking Bobby to the hospital, his arm needed to be X-rayed and set.

Hunter called Jason, and though reluctant, Jason allowed Hunter to clean him up and check his wounds. There were no really serious cuts, but Jason had a hard bump on the nose from the steering wheel. Jason absolutely refused to go to the hospital.

"There is still a lot of work to do here. There are still camping areas that need to be checked. You boys helping?" Jason looked at the other ghost hunters. Every head nodded.

It was noon on Monday before everyone was cozy in their beds. Chris was staying with Evan, too tired to drive home. Brock and Stephanie went to Brock's house. Brock's mother was more than happy to provide a guest room for Stephanie. She was proud of Brock and Stephanie, they had worked so hard to help storm victims.

Had they not been sleeping, the ghost hunters might have seen the commercial for the lead story on the six o'clock news. About how the Police Department had stooped to using charlatans to aid in the search and rescue of a child, gone missing in the storm.

Adam woke up to the best feeling. Roman's hand stroked his cock, and brought it to life as he woke up. Adam tried to speak, but instead of words, a heady whine passed over his lips.

Roman let out a deep, rumbling chuckle. He stroked Adam's cock as he kissed his husband. Adam's hand slid down and took hold of Roman's shaft, the Islander was rock hard. He gave a pleasured grunt as Adam pressed his thumb against the head of his cock.

Their hands bumped together occasionally as the worked to find a harmonic tempo. They found it, Roman pulled down on Adam's cock, and Adam tugged up on Roman's. Both men slowly rocked their hips as they lay on their sides and kissed. Their free hands pulled and caressed where ever they could manage to reach each other.

Much too soon they felt the tingling that started in their toes and ran up their bodies through the tips of their hair. With quicker thrusts of their hips and grunts, Adam and Roman pulled and tugged each other to eruption. The strokes continued until no more cum dripped from their cocks. They kissed once more, then both men flopped onto their backs and panted heavily.

"Ro Ro?" Adam let out a needy whine, he wanted more. He had to have more of his glorious husband.

Roman laughed. Adam was really horny, well who was he to deny anything his beautiful husband wanted.

Roman was just about to pull Adam on top of him when Jason's voice boomed through their apartment. "Stop fucking and get the hell downstairs, now!" They heard the door slam.

Adam sighed. "Guess we'd better get downstairs, sounds bad." He reluctantly got up. Roman gave a growl and a nod. They took a very quick shower together. The Reign's were soon dressed and headed down to the Reso's.

On the second floor, they met Chris and Evan who had obviously been woken from a deep sleep. Before they got down to the first floor, the Calaway's had joined them. Mark looked none too pleased.

Jason had left their front door open. When they walked in, Dean and Seth sat on the couch. Jason paced the room, his secondary cell phone to his ear.

"You and Brock get here as fast as you can... no, no... I do _not_ blame you... okay... ten minutes... front door is open..." Jason ended the call. He wasn't just mad he was on fire.

Hunter and Shawn came in the back door in the kitchen. Heath was busy making coffee. Shawn jumped in to help while Hunter joined the others.

Chris and Evan had sat down on the couch, next to Dean and Seth. Roman and Mark sat in the two reading chairs, Adam and Wade sat on the matching footstools. Jason flopped into his recliner.

"What's this all about, Jason?" Hunter asked in a rather annoyed tone. Roman and Adam hadn't been the only ones having a little bedroom fun when Jason summoned them.

Seth spoke. "You'll see, as soon as Brock and Stephanie get here." He was just as angry as Jason. Heath and Shawn brought in a tray each with coffee.

Brock and Stephanie arrived before the last cup of coffee was served. Heath retrieved two more cups. Hunter sat in Heath's recliner and Shawn sat on a kitchen chair next to him. Heath, and the two college students sat on the floor.

"Alright, what in the fucking hell is this all about." Mark nearly growled. He was not at all happy about being pulled out of his bed.

Again, Seth spoke up. "I wanted to record the six o'clock news, about the storm damage... okay, I also thought we might see ourselves, but I never expected this..." he paused. Seth pushed the remote for the television that sat in the corner. All eyes turned to the screen.

Seth continued. "Well, as I said, I never expected this." He pushed another remote that operated the DVD player. The screen was filled with a recording of the news. It sped by as Seth fast forwarded to a certain time stamp.

On the screen was Michael Cole. _"This was the scene at Black Hawk Park, where a devastating F three tornado ripped through the heart of the campground. While ample warning was given, many campers were caught unaware as the rogue storm unexpectedly picked up speed, leaving scenes like this in its wake..."_ Cole was replaced with images of broken, twisted trees, over turned campers and others scenes of devastation.

Cole then appeared on the screen again. _"One of the most potentially tragic victims of the storm was six year old Bobby Rodgers, who went missing after the camper he and his father occupied was turned over. Robert Rodgers, thirty six, had failed to heed the warnings to get to safety..."_ Cole was replaced again by pictures of an overturned "pop up" style camper. The camper had been turned onto its side. A graphic at the bottom of the screen read: RODGERS OVERTURNED CAMPER.

The news crew had moved in closer to show the damage. They focused on any item that had probably belonged to little Bobby. It planted an image of sympathy for the boy.

Cole was once again on the screen. _"When the Cedar Falls Police were notified of Bobby's disappearance did they try to find him? Some small effort was made. However, it came to our attention, that the safety and welfare of little six year old Bobby Rodgers was placed in the hands of a local group of paranormal charlatans known as the College Hill Ghost Hunters. The group is lead by Professor Adam Reigns and his husband, Doctor Roman Reigns, who is a Department Head at Northern Iowa University..."_ The image on the screen changed again.

Somehow, the news crew had managed to sneak back into the park. They showed distant images of Adam walking through the woods, holding the teddy bear. They had manged to make it look like Adam was just aimlessly wandering around, looking as lost as Bobby. It was very clever and skillful editing.

Seth stopped the player. "Look, just look what they did..." He got up so he could point at the screen. "Watch". Seth pushed play again. He pointed out the nearly non noticeable jump cuts. The cuts made Adam look pathetically lost. He stopped the video again. Seth went back to his seat.

"Keep watching." Seth nodded his head toward the television. He pushed the play button.

Cole continued to speak. _"While depending on a psychic medium to lead them to little Bobby, the police put very little effort into the search. It was only by luck, when a name badge that belonged to an heroic Cedar Falls Police Officer was found. Through that find, little Bobby was brought to safety. If that badge had not been found, little Bobby would have been lost forever as the Cedar River swept away the small sand ledge Bobby had been standing on."_ Images of Bobby's rescue were then shown.

The images showed Adam an the others laughing and smiling as if celebrating finding Bobby.

Adam spoke up. "Where's Jay? When we were... Jay was there... we were happy and laughing because Jay was safe! They... he was right next to me... they cut Jay out ! They fucking cut Jay out!" Adam focused back on the screen.

Cole's report continued. _"While it was luck, little Bobby is now safe, with only a few minor scrapes. Thankfully Bobby was found, but are the Police now putting the lives of such innocent citizens in the hands of charlatans, people greedy for money, people who claim to be able to talk to the dead? If so, the future of our safety is in serious question. We will bring you more as information becomes available. This is Michael Cole, reporting for KWWL News."_ Seth stopped the DVD player and turned off the television.

Stephanie had her head in her hands and silently sobbed, her shoulders quaked. Brock's face deeply ruddy, Evan knew that meant Brock was angry. The football player put his arm around his girl and looked around the room. Brock would punch the first person to put any blame on Stephanie.

Roman knew that look on Brock's face. It was the same one he wore when Adam was under threat; like now. "Brock, this is _not_ Stephanie's fault. You two are a _part_ of this family now. I blame one person and one person only, Vince McMahon. Hunter, can Jerry do anything? Seth can prove that video was edited to make Adam look lost and stupid." Roman had pulled Adam into his lap and held him safe and close in his strong arms.

Without a word, Hunter pulled his cell phone out and walked into the kitchen. There was no doubt as to whom he was going to call.

"I'm so sorry. I knew dad didn't take your refusal of the live show well, but after yesterday, I thought he was feeling okay about the special. You guys are like my brothers, and I let you down..." Stephanie gave a deep sniff, wiped her eyes and blew her nose. She put the used tissue back in her purse and pulled out her own cell phone.

Seth took the disc out of the player. "I'm going downstairs. I want to slow down and isolate those edits. Dean, help me please." Seth looked at his lover with sparks in his eyes. Dean got up and the two went down to the basement to work.

Stephanie made her call. "Mom, it's me. Dad's done it. You still interested? Good, can you come? Great. See you then, and mom, you won't be sorry, I promise. I love you, drive safely." She ended her call and looked at the men in the room.

She spoke, but looked at Adam and Roman. "Mom will be here tomorrow. I want her station to air the special. She won't hesitate, she _knows_ what you can do. Her station also has the reputation for respectable, accurate, unbiased reporting. It also airs here, so if we advertise it right, it should counter dad's bullshit. Will you meet with her? KCRG has an office over in Waterloo. She has an apartment there." Stephanie looked with hope at Adam.

Adam shook his head. "I don't know, Steph. I'm ready to just give it up. Close up shop and..."

Roman put his finger on Adam's lips. "No, you don't baby. You know you won't stop helping people. Nor do I want you to. You know Miss Linda likes you. I'd trust her over Vince. We just have to hope Vince's viewers will watch." Roman spoke softly to his husband. He ran his fingers through Adam's hair, it always helped Adam calm down.

Adam leaned into the touch. "You're right, I couldn't quit if I wanted to. Alright, Steph. We'll meet with your mom. We'd better have our presentation ready. Heath, call Tony's we have work to do; we need sustenance. Steph, Brock we'll need your help, will you stay?" Adam found his hubris and was their leader once again.

"Of course, Adam. I need to rewrite the intro. I want to make damn sure people know you do not take money or gifts. Heath, I'll need to see the papers you have that show legal proof you don't take money. If people won't believe that, there isn't much I can do. Let's get to it." Stephanie too found her confidence and Brock helped her to stand.

"I'll start working on those story boards so your mom can see a more complete picture. Heath did you get the Bristol board and ink?" Brock asked, brow raised. Brock had a very hidden talent, he was a wonderful artist. His work was so good, it was hard to tell if it was a drawing or a photograph. Brock was doing the lay out of the program so they could see ahead what was what.

"I sure did. I got a new set of nibs for you too, just in case. Um... can you chip in for the food budget? We all put in twenty bucks a couple times a month..." Heath hated to ask, but Brock was a really big eater, like Roman and Hunter, so... he had to.

Brock pulled out his wallet and handed Heath a hundred dollar bill. "For the both of us. Just keep it all, sorry I should have done it sooner. Just remind me, I have a lousy memory, too many hits in football." Brock laughed and followed Stephanie down to the basement. Roman, Adam, Evan and Chris followed. Shawn gathered coffee cups, Hunter was still on the phone.

Jason finally got out of his chair. "I wish I could arrest Cole for something. Didn't even mention me. I mean, I don't care, Bobby is safe, but... oh... I'm going downstairs." He gave Heath a sloppy wet kiss and thumped down the stairs.

It was as quiet as a museum as everyone worked on their parts of the program. Evan was sitting for Brock. They wanted to use drawings for the introduction. The drawing would cross fade into a real photo. It would give the program a true Hollywood production value. Seth said if they were going to do it, do it right..

They quickly devoured the six extra large pizzas. As they ate, Hunter finally came downstairs. "Well, that was interesting. Jerry said we could sue for Defamation of Character. He called McMahon's lawyer, Dave Otunga, a real... hot head. We had a conference call. Basically Otunga said good luck proving anything. When Otunga finally left the call, I told Jerry about Seth. Jerry said to try it. Have the case ready, and if we show Vince what we have, he may backtrack. So go ahead, Seth, show those edits. If nothing else, it will prove KWWL edits news to damage people. McMahon won't like that. Stephanie, I'm sorry to be doing this, he is your father, but his yellow journalism must stop." Hunter took a huge bite of pizza that Shawn had saved for him, and chewed like a starving chipmunk.

Stephanie looked at Hunter. "It's alright. I hope we can do something. If only Shane..." She bit her lip and never noticed the guilty look on Brock's face. Stephanie didn't know that both Brock and Evan had told the CHGH about her brother.

The College Hill Ghost Hunters worked deep into the night. By the time they finished, they had a rough cut of the program, along with a complete story board and production script. Hopefully KCRG and Linda McMahon would like it and air it.

At two o' clock the next afternoon, Stephanie, Brock, Adam, Roman and Seth arrived at the Waterloo office of the Cedar Rapids based television station, KCRG. They met Jerry Lawler in the lobby.

When the group was led into the conference room, they were shocked. Not only was Linda McMahon there, but so was Vincent McMahon, and a rather athletic looking young lawyer. Where was this headed to now?


	40. At Last

"Dad, why are you here? This has nothing to do with you." Stephanie McMahon asked as she laid her NIU messenger bag on the table.

Vince started to speak, but the man with him, David Otunga, stopped him. "I would rather say, what does this have to do with you? You are not listed as a member of the College Hill Ghost Hunters." The lawyer spoke in a crisp, eastern region laced accent.

Adam glanced at Jerry, who nodded. Adam spoke. "No, she isn't, however, she is the writer and Assistant Producer of the program. Miss McMahon has every right to be here. This is Seth Rollins, the Producer of the program. He and Stephanie can answer any questions you might have. Now, we'd like a few minutes to set up our presentation? Miss Linda?" Adam spoke directly to Linda, after all, it was her they were here for.

"Of course, Adam. Take all the time you need. Darling, I'm so sorry about this. Your father says they were offered the program first... I didn't know what else to do." Linda explained quietly as Stephanie went to give her mother a kiss in greeting.

Brock and Seth quickly set up the story boards. It helped that a huge bulletin board filled one wall, but then again, this was the office of a television studio.

Stephanie and Seth stood on either end of the bulletin board. Seth began. "We've put together a one hour program. We feature some investigation data, about twenty minutes worth, disbursed among scientific research that will back up each bit of investigation presented. The larger share of scientific research will be the aura studies by Doctor Roman Reigns." Seth pointed out each thing on the story boards Brock had drawn as he spoke. He was thorough, and to the point.

Stephanie picked up where Seth left off. "We want be able to back up, scientifically what Adam or Evan do in an investigation. We're out to do what the other shows don't do, prove that the gifts Adam and Evan have are real." She spoke firmly and looked from her mother to her father.

David Otunga gave a bit of a sneer. "Impossible. Unless, of course, your _scientific_ research is faked as well. There are no such things as ghosts, and people like _him_ are in it for the money. Duping innocent people into paying for nothing more than elaborate magician's tricks." Otunga impatiently tapped his fingers on the table as he spoke.

Adam was always prepared for this. He felt Roman bristle next to him. He laid a hand on Roman's thigh. "I have never, nor have any of the College Hill Ghost Hunters taken a dime or any other gift from a client, not even a tray of cookies. I was given this gift, I certainly did not ask for it, no one would. But, I have it. I have a responsibility to help others, Mister Bourne feels the same. We are audited every year. We support ourselves by pitching in whatever we can afford each month. We saved for over two years for our trip overseas. Seth has spent his own money on equipment. I can't make it any plainer than that. We can't force you to believe, but, the paranormal is real." There was no more he could say.

Linda smiled at Adam. "I know very well that his gift is real. The connection with the University gives hims credence as well. The University's Paranormal Department is highly acknowledged in the world of academia. Do you have an example you could show? Linda spoke professionally. At the moment, Stephanie was not her daughter, she was an Assistant Producer pitching a television program.

Vince spoke before Seth or Stephanie could respond. "Yes, prove it. I know trick photography when I see it..."

Linda interrupted. "Of course you do, _you_ invented the concept. Why you and your station aren't constantly sued is beyond me. That report on..." She was halted by Vince.

"Because my viewers want the truth. Sometimes you have to nudge it along..."

Linda fired back at her estranged husband sharply. "You mean, make it up! You accuse this wonderful young man of being a charlatan, but you're the biggest one of all. You've never done an honest thing in your life..."

Vince spoke. "You're so virtuous? You're the one that found that... that... fancy man in Cedar Rapids!"

"After I came home and found you in bed with that intern..." Linda was between anger and tears.

Stephanie looked at her warring parents. She couldn't take any more. " _STOP_ it, both of you! I can't... do this any more. I wish Shane was here! He'd be ashamed of you! I wish it _had_ been me!" Brock got up from his chair and went to Stephanie, she sobbed in his arms.

Adam suddenly slumped forward. Roman's eyes flew open wide in surprise. He moved to help his husband. Before he could even touch Adam, the psychic raised his head. Adam's eyes were closed, but his lips moved.

Roman knew Adam had been jumped, but who would jump here, here and now. He held up his hand. "Wait, just wait." Roman barely whispered. Seth understood, and he whispered in Stephanie's ear. She nodded.

Adam's voice found air, but the voice was not his. "Stop it. Father you're tearing Stephi apart. It _wasn't_ her fault. They had to pull her out first, she was on top of me. But, even so, I would have told them to see to her first, no matter what. _Stop_ blaming her, please..." the voice was that of Shane McMahon. His energy was so strong, he was able to completely manipulate Adam's voice.

Both Linda and Stephanie knew, without a doubt, that it was Shane, speaking through Adam. Vince however looked at Adam like he was dirt under his shoe.

"How _dare_ you do this! How dare you insult the memory of my son. How fucking _dare_ you!" Vince was ready to jump across the table and punch Adam. Roman and Brock both moved to protect the pretty blond. Otunga stopped Vince.

Linda whispered. "It's him, Vince, it's really him. Adam couldn't know what his voice sounded like. Shane? Shane darling, it's mom. Are you alright? Happy?" She looked at Adam with tear filled eyes.

The spirit inside Adam spoke again. "Yes, mom, it's me. Yes, I'm alright, but... father's guilt and anger keep me from being able to completely cross over. Father, your anger is keeping me from going to the light. Please, your... please stop your yellow journalism. You're hurting innocent people." Shane's spirit paused.

Deep inside, Adam could tell Shane's soul was taking some of his energy. Adam would allow it to a point. Adam could also feel his grandmother nearby, ready to help if needed.

Vince shook his head. "Oh, I see what you're doing now. Very fucking clever, using your so called...gift... to make me feel guilty about my news reports. Well it won't work. No chance, no chance in hell. I'll bury your little ghost hunting group so far underground you'll never be able to work again. I'll also have a talk with Zeb Colter, John Layfield and Ric Flair, they will speak to the other Regents, so you'd better start looking for new jobs. Jericho, Calaway oh and um... Barrett as well..." His face was so red with anger, he looked badly sunburned, spit flew out of his mouth when he spoke.

"STOP it father! Just stop it! I know why you're so angry. It wasn't your fault, it wasn't. If I hadn't been driving it would have happened anyway. It was my time, my time to leave the earth. Nothing you could have done would have stopped it, nothing. I can prove it's really me, speaking through Adam's generous gift." Shane/Adam spoke firmly at first, then softened.

Vince slapped the table. "Go ahead then, just try to prove it. Just try." He challenged the spirit with a huff.

Shane looked at his father. "Vinnie Mack, I used to call you Vinnie Mack, when I was little. Mom, remember what I called you when we used to dance. Lindy Hop... because we used to do the bunny hop dance before bedtime. And I called Stephi, Doodlebug, because she used to draw all over everything. Who else would know those names?"

Vince blinked a few times, then scoffed. "You... Stephanie told you... she told you!" It was the only answer he could possibly think of.

Stephanie leaned on the table. " I didn't. _I didn't_... I never heard him call you Vinnie Mack or mom, Lindy hop... I'd even forgotten about Doodlebug... I'll swear in church, take a lie detector test... I never..." She was close to breaking down. Stephanie knew it was Shane, why couldn't father see it?

Vince looked hard at his daughter, then his estranged wife. He saw something, deep in their eyes. He looked over at Adam. The man had an expression on his face, it was an expression Shawn wore when he was aggravated. Was it possible? There was one way to find out, one thing only Shane could know.

Vince looked hard at Adam. "What was the last thing I said to you?" He looked, brow raised at the spirit jumped psychic.

Shane laughed. "You told me, if I wrecked the car, you'd cancel my trip to Florida with the guys. I said, don't worry dad, I'm a good driver... it wasn't... they hit me... swerved to keep... Stephi safe... It wasn't her fault dad... it wasn't her..." Adam's head slumped again. Shawn's spirit had left Adam's body He didn't want to drain anymore of Adam's energy.

Roman gently stroked the back of Adam's head. The blond hair of his husband was like spun silk. "Adam, come back, come on, baby. That's it, open those eyes." Roman spoke in a whisper. Adam's eyes fluttered open, closed, then opened again. He looked at Roman.

"He... just jumped me.. His energy is so strong... driven by guilt and anger. I just wish I could remember what I say during... oh... are you alright, Stephanie?" Adam saw the girl was wrapped in Brock's arms.

Stephanie looked at Adam and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine. Was a bit... I... he... saved my life and I never knew it. Oh Adam, thank you. Are you alright? Forgive me for saying this but you look... exhausted." She crinkled her brow in worry.

Adam nodded. "Yeah. It just wipes me out. Especially a really strong spirit like he was. Miss Linda, are you alright? I'm sorry, I never get a warning. A jump just happens." He looked at the older woman with wide eyed concern.

"I'm fine. I believe you, Adam. I have no doubt that was Shane. It sounded just... thank you. I only wish he was at peace..." Linda gave a glance to her husband.

Vince looked at Linda. "Those _were_ are last words to each other. How could _he_ have known that? It's _not_ possible, it's just not possible."

"Yes it is dad. I've seen Adam work before. I've never seen a jump, but he told me about them. Just watch the video. Just keep in mind, this is a very rough cut." She looked at Seth and nodded.

Seth put the DVD in the machine in the room. He turned on the large TV that was on the wall. Everyone turned their chairs to be able to see the program. He pushed play, and the program began.

Roman excused himself and went out to the lobby of the office. He asked the receptionist where the coffee was. She showed him to the little break room. Roman poured Adam a cup of coffee. He added six packets of sugar. Adam needed it before he passed out.

The program was still playing when Roman returned. He frowned, Adam rubbed his temples, a sure sign of a headache. He gave Adam the coffee and encouraged him to drink it it quickly. Adam smiled at his husband and took a sip of the hot, sugary coffee.

They both looked when Linda gasped. She had just seen the footage of William Regal blasting the rock that was headed for Evan. The next footage was a close up of Wade making fire with his hand, and Hunter doing some medical research.

By the end of the program, Linda was more convinced that ever in both Adam and Evan's gifts. She wanted to air the program on her station. She knew it would draw a good audience, and her audience tended to be more well read and further educated.

Seth turned off the television and removed the disc. "Well, what do you think?" Music and an introduction will, of course, be added and the whole thing will be smoother. Take a closer look at the story board to get a better idea." He spoke to the two television station owners.

"I'll air it, as soon as you have finished it. When can you make me some adverts? I need about five or six, fifteen to thirty second spots, and lets say a two and half week lead in." Linda spoke firmly.

"I want to air it. I approached them first. I won't touch it, it will air as you give it to me. The viewers can chose what they want to believe. I don't know. I... but... how?" Vince was confused about everything.

Adam looked from Linda to Vince. What happens, legally if we let Miss Linda's station air the program?"

David Otunga spoke. "We will sue. We approached you first. It's our program." The lawyer was firm and glared at the others around the table.

Jerry Lawler scoffed. "Not really. The program belongs to the College Hill Ghost Hunters. There was no contract of any kind. My clients refused your offer of a live program. You were offered the alternate program, you made no commitment. You have no legal ground to stand on. You had your chance. And, if you continue to slander my clients, like you did during the report on the tornado, you will be in court so fast you won't know what hit you." Lawler narrowed his eyes at Vince and David.

"Prove it, prove any slander and I will personally retract it..." Vince growled when Otunga stopped him.

"Too late, dear David. Seth." Jerry nodded to the computer expert. He had an extremely sly smirk on his lips.

Seth grinned. He took out another disc, put it in the machine and pressed play. The disc was the one that Seth had put together. It slowed down and isolated the edits Vince's crew had made to show Adam looking lost and incompetent. When Seth pointed them out, the slight edit jumps stuck out like a sore thumb. Even Brock could see them. When the disc finished, Seth ejected it from the machine and put it back in the brief case Jerry carried.

"There is also the fact that you totally ignored the heroic story about Sargent Jason Reso. Now, I expect a full retraction in tonight's news, and it had better not be a five second blurb at the end. Whether you believe or not in what Adam, Evan or the College Hill Ghost Hunters do, it is not up to you to damage their reputations. As a matter of fact, I took the liberty to write a retraction for you. Here." Jerry took a paper from his brief case. He slid it across the table. It landed directly between McMahon and Otunga.

David picked it up, Vince took it from him. Vince was still reeling, emotionally about what had happened with Adam being jumped by Shane. Something inside him felt; broken. He knew he had to try to make things somewhat right. Maybe, just maybe this would help.

"It will be on the six, lead in story. I'll do it myself. Ladies, Gentlemen, this meeting is over. Linda, air the program. Stephanie, I am very proud of you." Vince started to stand up to leave, Linda stopped him.

"Vin, I'd like to speak to you and Steph alone..." Linda looked at the others, "Please, excuse us?"

Adam, Roman and the others got up to leave. Brock cast a furtive glance at Stephanie. Stephanie gave Brock a nod and a smile. The men left to go wait for Stephanie. They went outside, Adam desperately needed some fresh air.

Brock started to worry, it had been an hour since he'd left his girlfriend with her parents. He gave a sigh of relief when, at last, Vince and his lawyer left the office. Stephanie came out a few minutes later. She'd obviously been crying.

Stephanie joined Brock, Adam, Roman and Seth. Jerry had gone back to his office. Brock moved to make room on the bench where they all sat. He wrapped an arm around his girl's shoulder.

"Want to talk about it, honey?" Brock asked softly. Stephanie nodded. Adam, Roman and Seth got up to give the couple some privacy.

"No, please, stay. You're like my brothers, and besides, some of this is about Adam." Stephanie said with a deep sniff.

Stephanie began. "Daddy is hurt and confused. Deep down, I know he believes Shane spoke to him today. But he just can't or won't admit it. He did apologize to mom and they talked like humans for the first time, in a long time. He means it about the retraction. I also made him promise to leave the CHGH alone. He supports mom showing the special. He won't let anyone discredit you. We hugged, I mean really hugged for the first time since Shane's death. We're going to talk more. It's progress. So Adam, thank you. I owe you so much. Come on, Dog 'n Suds on me." Stephanie smiled and hugged Adam.

"Well, I really had no control. I'll tell you though, it was a bit... after... well never mind." Adam trembled a bit. When Shane had jumped him, the fear of the possession had come back to him.

Stephanie knew something bothered Adam, but she didn't push. They piled into the Reigns' SUV and drove to the Dog 'n Suds. They ordered root beer floats and a chili dog each... well Brock had four chili dogs, Roman had two and unusually, Adam gave Roman half of his chili dog.

Stephanie felt guilty, had she upset Adam in some way? "Adam, have I upset you? You seem so... down. I know you get drained after a … communication, but this just seems... different." Her brow wrinkled with worry and her eyes narrowed slightly.

Adam sighed. "I um... well, I guess you should know..." He then, very briefly told the story of what he'd been through in Ireland and then how he was 'set free' in England by the power of Stonehenge with Wade's help. Roman held Adam's hand the whole time.

Stephanie and Brock were in wide eyed, opened mouthed amazement. They had no idea Adam and the others had been through such hell. She understood now why being suddenly jumped by Shane had upset Adam so much.

"... so, when Shane just jumped me like that, I got a little frightened. I know though, he wasn't doing it with any evil intent, but still, I was glad when he left. Please, Steph, don't take that the wrong way." Adam looked at the girl with a bit of guilt.

Stephanie laid her hand on Adam's arm. "No, no. I understand completely. That was awful. I'm sorry that happened to you. I don't know how you can still... do this. You are very brave, Adam." Her eyes gleamed with admiration.

Things got back to normal after the tornado. While many people had been injured, no one was killed. Luke and Erick's farm sustained some damage. A few panels blew off the hog barn and some crops were lost, but all in all, they, along with many other farmers were quite lucky.

Roman's lab students were just as interested in the aura studies, especially now that Evan was in the mix. It was educational to compare the two auras.

Seth, Stephanie and the others worked hard at finishing up the television program. They made the requested advertisement bumpers. Linda wanted to air the show in mid November. She didn't want it show at Halloween, it was too trite.

The College Hill Ghost Hunters got called out on a few cases, but there was nothing overly unusual. Mostly the cases were pesky spirits that bothered home owners. Adam was able to easily send them to the light.

One case, however, turned out to have a rather humorous ending. An older lady was convinced the spirit of her husband had taken up residence in the attic. They caught the strange bumps and footsteps on audio. However, they never caught anything on video.

Adam and his grandmother tried to call the husband forward, every night for a week. Evan tried to contact him as well, but they got no results.

It was Dean who finally solved the case. He and Seth were doing a turn in the attic. When they heard the 'footsteps' again. Dean tracked and isolated the noises to a far dark corner, where an ancient trunk sat.

Seth ran to Dean when he heard his lover scream in fright, Dean never screamed. Dean then burst out in laughter. Seth soon found out why. Dean opened the trunk again. There was a horrible growl. In the trunk was a mother raccoon and her twin babies. They had made a very cozy home in the old trunk. Animal control was called and the furry family was moved to a nature preserve near the Cedar River.

Adam loved teaching two classes. It was a fun challenge and he did well. He still ran Roman's office, mainly because no one else would put up with Roman's moods. Adam knew how to deal with bastard Doctor Reigns when he was under pressure.

The day before Halloween, Adam turned thirty two. They celebrated at The Lunatic Fringe. Fozzy played and the ghost hunters danced. Adam stuck to his rule of no presents, but later, at home, Roman gave Adam a new fob and chain for his grandfather's pocket watch. Adam gave Roman one hell of a blow job in return.

The Paranormal Special as set to air on the Sunday before Chris and Evan's wedding. Adam was nervous as they gathered in the Reso's living room to watch. All the College Hill Ghost Hunters along with Bray, Luke, Erick, Brock, Stephanie, Brock, Brie and Daniel were there.

"If... this could... what if it ruins our lives and our jobs." Adam asked the room as he bit his nails.

Roman gently pulled Adam's hand from his mouth. "You know that won't happen. President Heyman and the Regents approved of the show when they saw it. They were very pleased that so much scientific research was shown." He pulled Adam close as they sat on the couch.

Brock turned to Adam. "Roman is right. Poppa Paul is excited. He thinks it will show students who want to study the paranormal, that here, it is treated seriously. He looks for the Department to grow. He's even considering featuring the Department in the new Freshman recruitment video, above Athletics."

Bray nodded. "Yes, he is. Adam, there will always be haters, you know that. You also know, that you really help people. That's all that matters."

Adam sighed. "You're right. Mom is having her own watch party with Mom Carol. I just hope..." He was shushed by everyone, the program had begun.

For the next hour, all eyes were glued to the television. Seth was bursting with pride. He and Steph had done a good job, they all had. It was the first program that was actually able to back up claims with real, scientific research. It wasn't exactly proof, but it was damn close.

The hour flew by. It seemed like the show was over five minutes after it stared. Three cell phones went off at the same time.

Both Judy and Carol called their sons and Linda called her daughter. Adam smiled as his mother congratulated him. His ma liked the show, that made him happy.

Both Heath and Jay tried to talk to a very proud and happy Carol. Heath finally let Jason have the phone. Then Jason and Adam traded phones. Carol was so pleased and proud for Adam.

When Jason and Adam ended their calls and traded back their phones, Stephanie spoke. "That was mom. She said the switchboard lit up ten minutes into the program and they are still tied up. She doesn't have any ratings numbers yet, but she said if the number of phone calls was any indication... it's a hit!" Stephanie was excited, and proud. A lot of blood, sweat and tears had gone into creating the program.

Adam bit his lip. "Um... did she say anything _about_ the calls? I mean were they good calls or bad calls?" His eyes darted from Stephanie to the others.

Stephanie grinned. "Well of course there were some not so nice calls, but over eighty percent of them were favourable. That's good, really, really good. There always going to be negative callers. I mean, the show could have been about puppies and people would gripe. Eighty percent... I'm so proud of us!" She smiled brightly and her eyes gleamed with joy.

Adam slumped back against the couch, he was relieved. At least people seemed to take it seriously. "Thank you Steph and Seth, no, thank all of you. You all worked your asses off and I appreciate it."

Shawn interjected. "Yes, we did and we should be proud. Adam, you are a great leader and you work just as hard. You keep us together, none of us would be here if it wasn't for you. The way you help and bring comfort to people is a precious gift. No matter what or how this special program affects us, don't lose who you are and what we do. Just stay our humble, fearless leader."

Adam smiled. "I will Shawn. I only care about helping people. I am glad however, that at least most people seem to like us. Now, it's time to focus on Evan and Chris. This is their week and I think it's time." He nodded To Heath with a wink.

Heath went to the kitchen and came back with a small but long, narrow gift wrapped box. He handed it to Evan.

"This is from all of us. We hope you like it." Heath smiled as Evan took the gift. Heath then sat back down by Jason to watch.

Evan carefully unwrapped the box. Chris' chin rested on Evan's shoulder as they sat on the floor. Evan opened the box. He took out a folded piece of paper.

"Oh.. guys... this is... no no no... we can not accept this." Evan pulled out twenty, brand new, crisp one hundred dollar bills. Chris' eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Evan is right, this is way too much." Chris' voice was a little gruff with emotion.

Wade smiled. "You might change your mind. Open the other envelope."

Evan pulled out another envelope and opened it. There were two pieces of paper, one was a letter. Evan opened it first. He started to read it, but his voice failed.

Chris took the letter, he read aloud. "Dearest Evan. Congratulations on your forthcoming marriage. I have been in contact with Adam, Roman, Jason, Heath and of course Wade and Mark. They have decided to turn the three guest rooms on the second floor into an apartment for you and Chris. I have, through them, taken the liberty of hiring a contractor to begin work the week after Thanksgiving. All the costs will be taken care of, by me. This is my small way of thanking you for letting me speak to Mase, to be able to set him free. I know his soul soars with the Ancients. Your friends have included a bit of money to get you started with things for your new home. I hope your new home will be filled always with love and happiness. All the best for a long and wonderful marriage, all my love, William." Chris' voice cracked.

Chris looked the three couples who occupied the house. "Oh... guys.. are you sure? You sure you want to do that?"

"Yeah, we do. We'd love to have you here. You know we've thought about another apartment for a long time. You'll pay the same rent as all of us, but William wanted to do this for you." Wade spoke directly to Chris and Evan.

"Thank you. We will call him later an thank him too. Saves looking for a place. I can't imagine living any where else now. I love this house, it's home." Evan spoke softly as he tucked everything back into the box.

"Well, you guys will have to live in Chris' room for a while, but the new place should be ready in time for Christmas, unless they hit an unexpected problem." Mark added what he knew to the conversation.

"We can manage. Mrs. Johnson will be glad to see me go. Her daughter wants to come live with her, but since I'm renting the room... this is just incredible guys." Chris smiled and hugged Evan close.

The next few days were chaotic. Heath had to screen fifty potential clients. In the end though, there were only two truly legitimate clients. The others just wanted to be able to say their house had been investigated by those guys on television.

Adam had warned Heath to be extra careful of people like that. When he had any doubts, Heath brought Shawn along. The preacher had the ability to read people.

The script for television show had been sent, by Bray to several prestigious publications, one in particular responded.

Omni Science Magazine wanted to publish and article about Roman's aura studies. This meant, now, that Roman would be a published educator, he gained instant tenure at the University. It meant his job was secure, no matter what, until he left or retired.

Bret Hart arranged for the show to air in Canada and it was met with equal success. The College Hill Ghost Hunters were officially invited, by the owners of a grand hotel in Banff, to come investigate whenever they could. The hotel had its share of ghost stories and the owners wanted to make sure nothing evil lurked.

The wedding of Chris and Evan was upon them. Evan looked beautiful in the suit he'd bought in London. It was soft white and complimented the dark blue sit Chris wore. The church was decorated with colorful fall flowers from Shawn's garden, mixed with a few from the florist.

Adam stood with Evan and Roman with Chris. It was a simple ceremony, especially compared to the one at Stonehenge with Wade and Mark. Chris and Evan were pronounced husband and husband.

At the house on Olive Street, the gang, including Bray, his boys, Stephanie and Brock celebrated the wedding. Wade had made a simple, but extremely elegant three tiered octagon shaped cake. It was white, but Wade decorated it with gum paste sculptures which included things like history books, math books, pom-poms for when Evan had cheered and a model of Chris' mustang. A couple who looked like Chris and Evan sat in the gum paste car and kissed. It was wonderful.

The newlyweds took a short honeymoon trip up to the Wisconsin Dells. They stayed in a beautiful Inn on the banks of the Mississippi River.

Evan and Chris were glad they had waited for their first, full on sexual experience. Both men knew they would never desire anyone but each other for the rest of their lives. Evan wore a constant blush on his cheeks, and Chris flashed his most wicked smirk. They were adorable.

It was strange not to have Evan and Chris at the table for Thanksgiving, but it was nice to have new friends in their place. Brock, Stephanie, Brie, Daniel and Bray and his boys, made up the guest list. It was a good time of food, football, and laughter as well as serving at the shelter downtown.

When classes began again, President Heyman was pleased. By the end of the fall semester, enrolment for the spring semester was the highest ever. Part of the reason for the increase was the Paranormal Department. Also, a well known, recently retired, Broadway actor had joined the teaching staff, and that increased enrolment in that Department as well.

The College Hill Ghost Hunters continued working on investigations. Just before Christmas, Linda McMahon asked if Adam would try to bring Shane back for another conversation.

This time, with only Linda there, Shane spoke without jumping Adam. Through Adam, mother and son had a healing conversation. When it ended, Linda was more at peace with things. It was good for her, and Linda and Stephanie grew even closer.

While Vince McMahon never knew what to make of the encounter when Shane had jumped Adam, he did make some changes in his life.

Vince stopped the "altered" news stories and told the real truth. While he didn't exactly retract any of the old stories, viewers liked the new approach and ratings increased.

One other positive thing came from the encounter. Stephanie and Vince began the long process of healing their fractured relationship.

It was hard for Vince, but he realized that it was not Stephanie's fault Shane had died. That alone was music to the girls ears. Stephanie knew now, that when she went to her father for help or advice, he was being a real parent, not just someone looking for what he could get out it. It would be a long road, but father and daughter had taken those difficult first steps.

Things in the personal lives of the Heyman family only continued to get better. Molly never stopped smiling, and instead of hiding behind booze, she became a prominent lady in Cedar Falls society. It was good, not only for Molly personally, but, for the University as well, and that pleased Paul to no end.

All of this was because of the gifts of one person, Adam Joseph Copeland Reigns, and the help he received from the other members of the College Hill Ghost Hunters.

It was the evening of January first. They gang had gone to the fabulous New Year's Eve party Molly and Paul Heyman hosted.

Instead of the usual stuffy, dreaded affair, it was a real, fun party. Chris' band, Fozzy, provided the music, and Molly hired Tony's pizza to cater. Dean and Seth were hired to run the bar. Even Jason was able to enjoy himself, Chief Anderson had given him the evening off. It ended, as the party moved to the stadium to watch the annual display of fireworks by the science department.

Roman and Adam were curled up on the couch, soft music played in the background.

"That was a fun party last night. Molly was a different person. It's because of you." Roman whispered in Adam's ear, as he scraped the lobe gently between his teeth.

Adam let out a small whimper. He tried to concentrate on their conversation. "She's the one that changed. But, it does feel good to help people find their peace. We have that case next week that's similar. I hope I can help that family as well." He replied with a nip to Roman's neck.

All conversation was forgotten as the couple kissed. It began soft and sweet, but their passion for each other grew. Their tongues tangled together as they tasted each other.

With a growl, Roman broke the kiss and in one swift movement, picked his husband up in his arms and carried him to their bedroom.

It wasn't long before their clothes were in various places as they landed haphazardly on the floor and furniture, one of Roman's socks even landed on one of the curtain rods.

Adam wasn't in the mood for any gentle foreplay. He wanted Roman's dick in his ass and he wanted it now. With a deep chested growl of his own, Adam pushed Roman down on his back and sank his teeth into Roman's shoulder.

Roman's long, wavy hair spilled over the pillow like ebony silk. He growled in return when Adam's teeth sank into his skin. Roman gave Adam's perfect ass a sharp slap.

Adam let out a squeal. Both their cocks were hard and eager to be stimulated. Adam slid up his husband's body and settled in the perfect spot. He spit in his hand, reached down and rubbed Roman's cock. His puckered hole was still a bit loose from the sex they'd had earlier, after arriving home from the party.

"Easy baby." Roman husked s Adam's hand guided his anxious cock into that sweet, perfect heat.

Adam moaned as Roman's dick filled him. It was the most wonderful feeling. Adam let out a shaky sigh as he sat on Roman's groin. His hands pressed against Roman's chest.

"So good, you fill me up so good." Adam muttered as he slowly began to fuck himself on Roman's thick, hard shaft. He let out another moan when Roman's large, strong but soft hand wrapped around his cock and began to stroke it up and down with the occasional slight twist.

The soft music from the stereo wafted from the living room to the bedroom. Adam caught the rhythm of he song and moved his body like an erotic dancer. He rolled his hips and tangled his fingers in his long, blond locks. He fanned it out over his shoulders, like golden silk.

Adam decided to give Roman a real lap dance. He batted Roman's hand from his cock and took over. Adam stroked his own cock in tempo with the movements his lower body made on Roman's cock. With his free hand, Adam began to play with his nipples. He pinched and pulled until they were hard, swollen nubs.

Roman watched his beautiful husband with half lidded, lust filled eyes. He usual soft gray eyes became almost black with heated desire. Adam had never looked so erotic.

When the music changed to a faster beat, Adam easily changed his movements to fit. He moved like he was riding a glorious stallion across a vast, wide open field. Roman picked up the movements and arched his back, and thrust up into Adam's heat in perfect sync.

Adam still tugged on his own cock, but Roman just had to touch his beauty, his beloved, his Adam. He covered Adam's hand with his and stroked. Adam's other hand wandered over Roman's body, and caressed wherever he could reach. Roman followed suit with his free hand, as their erotic dance of sex continued.

When the music once again changed, Roman flipped their positions. His cock had slid out of Adam when Adam went onto his back. Adam whimpered at the loss of their connection.

Roman let out a deep, wicked laugh. "Maybe I'll just go to the bathroom and jerk off, leave you like this." he teased Adam with a gleam in his eyes.

Adam's hazel eyes flew open wide, he looked at Roman with a huge pout on his lips. "Ro Ro? Please, oh please, get that luscious dick back in my ass, please..." Adam's eyes were wet, and threatened to cry out of desperation.

Roman leaned down and whispered over Adam's lips. "I love to hear you beg for me." He kissed Adam. When he slid his tongue into Adam's mouth, he sent his cock back into Adam's tight, hot channel. Adam's eyes rolled back and he sighed into the kiss.

Roman let out a deep, satisfied sigh of his own and reached down between their sweat laced bodies and once again began to work Adam's cock with his hand.

Roman set a steady pace with his hips. Adam arched his body to meet Roman's. When Roman rolled his hips in time with the music, he hit Adam's prostate directly. Every time Adam felt the pressure on his bundle of nerves, he let out the most glorious sounds. Roman loved to hear the sheer pleasure in Adam's voice. It pleased Roman to know he was the one that made Adam feel so good.

"My beautiful, magnificent angel... I love you, so much." Roman's words were warm in Adam's ear. He kissed Adam's neck softly.

Adam opened his eyes and looked up at his husband. "I love you, my handsome Islander." His reply was so raw, it went right to Roman's very soul. They kissed with all the love they felt.

Their love making continued until neither could hold back any longer. They had held off their climaxes to the point it started to hurt. Adam and Roman's cocks spilled their sticky, milky cum at the same time. They sighed deeply and kissed in utter happiness and contentment.

When Roman's flaccid cock slid out of Adam's ass, he pulled Adam against him. They fell into a deep, sex sated sleep as the music lulled them softly.

The College Hill Ghost Hunters sat around the single indoor booth at the Dog 'n Suds. One other group of college students sat in the four seats at the counter.

This time just eleven original members were there. Evan had too much difficult math homework, so Chris made his husband stay home. Evan didn't argue, he knew his schooling came first, and the group agreed.

"Well, the first investigation of the new year is done. I'll start running the data tomorrow. Great stuff for the aura study." Seth said with drippy bite of ketchup covered onion ring.

Shawn nodded. "That poor young widow was so upset. It brought her such peace to know her husband was with his grandfather on the other side." He gave Adam a smile.

I'm only the messenger. I never asked for this gift, but it does please me to help people. I couldn't do it without any of you. We had quite a time last year. Thank you all for standing by me when that demon tried to take me. I'm here because of all of you. You're the best friends..." Adam paused and looked at Roman. "... and husband a man could ask for. I love you all. To us! The College Hill Ghost Hunters!" They raised their root beer mugs in a toast.

"To us!" Everyone chimed in as they toasted each other and another completed investigation.

That's the story of The Haunted, and how a sweet, gifted man named Adam and his friends helped people.

 _ **FIN**_

 _A/N: Thank you all who have read, enjoyed and reviewed. I hope you enjoyed the story. I know it was a bit different, but I loved writing it. I hope you continue to enjoy the stories I write, and I look forward to seeing you all soon... another time, another story. All the best, Lady Dragonsblood_


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